He Said She Said
by mshinata
Summary: AU In order to stop the arranged marriage that their clan had prepared for them, Neji and Hinata decided to make a deal with Hiashi,but what if the deal is for them to cross-dress until high school graduation? NejiHina Onesided KibaHina ON HIATUS
1. Trust Me

**Mshinata's Notes: Marshie-chan** has granted me permission to continue this story since she won't be writing anymore. –Sad- Please enjoy this story to the fullest! Marshie-chan has wrote the first ten chapters. After the ten chapters, I will be continuing it.

**Title:** He Said, She Said

**Author:** Marshie-chan

**Pairing(s):** Neji/Hinata, Kiba/Hinata

**Anime/Manga:** Naruto

**Type:** Alternate Universe (AU)

**Status:** In Progress…

**Disclaimer (Applied to all chapters!):** I don't own NARUTO, HANA KIMI and W JULIET. This story is only fan-made and not associated with the Anime/Manga/TV Show mentioned.

**Dedication:** kawaiiS, the NejiHina Queen!

**Summary: **In order to stop the arranged marriage that their clan had prepared for them, Neji and Hinata decided to make a deal with Hiashi—but what if the deal is for them to cross-dress until high school graduation?

**Based on: **Shoujo Manga **Hana Kimi** (For You In Full Blossom) and **W Juliet**

**Warning(s): **

**-**Characters may tend to be OOC and there may be bad English. I'm not perfect so don't be harsh with my grammar and spelling mistakes. The story is switching with Hinata's POV, but I separated it with the lines so don't be confused.

**-**It was clearly stated that this is a Neji x Hinata fanfiction. If you think this pairing is gross/disgusting/sick, simply click the back button in your browser.

**A/N:** If you want to know what kind of AU setting this is, just imagine that it's the same as the second ending of Naruto Shippuuden (the Naruto high school style). Also, if you don't understand some Japanese words used in this fic, feel free to ask and I'll answer it right away. Hope you enjoy reading and please don't forget to review. Reviews make the update faster. Thanks.

**Beta-Reader:** The lovely DesertxRosexTemari, thanks for your help! I love you, dear!

**Chapter One: Trust Me**

At first, I thought everything was just a dream. My cousin Neji-niisan and I believed that we would just wake up and we'll be back in reality, to our normal lives… just as things had always been.

But no… we can't go back. This **is** reality.

We're now inside the car that will take us to Konoha High School, the place where we are going to risk our own pride and reputations…

"N-niisan, I don't think we should do this." I spoke up but didn't have the courage to look at him. I kept my glance glued outside the car window.

"…"

No answer. Well, I didn't expect an answer from him anyway. Once he had decided something, no one could change his mind. Niisan is really a man of his word.

"Worried?" My heart skipped a bit upon hearing his sudden reply, "Just do what I've taught you and everything's going to be all right… Hinata-sama."

That's what I like about him Even though he knew we would be put into shame if we fail to keep our secrets, he managed to retain his natural calmness and composure. By relying on him, we're both confident we'll be fine.

"Arigatou, Nii-" I turned my head to look at him and got the shock in my life, "-san?!"

If I wasn't able to get a hold of myself, I would have fainted. Changing our hair styles was hard enough, but…Neji-niisan? Lipstick? Heavens… this has got to be the most disturbing scene I have ever seen. I never thought he would go this far.

And the most unacceptable part is—when polished, he seems to be more of a 'woman' than I am. "N-niisan, you—"

"Ah." He touched his make-up covered face. "This? If I don't do this, I would still look like a guy. You should act manlier as well."

I sweat-dropped. This doesn't seem to disturb him at all. _"W-watashi—"_

"It's supposed to be _'Ore,'_" He corrected."You're a guy now, remember?"

I sighed heavily before answering, "Uh… _**O-ore-wa…**_**"**

"Good. And please don't twiddle your thumbs, it bothers me. You will not only pretend to be a boy, you'll be carrying my name as well," He spoke seriously.

I reddened in shame and hid my hands behind me. "I understand. _G-gomenasai._"

Yes… it was on this fateful night that Oniisan and I have decided on something that will change our lives forever. Cross-dressing as each other until high school graduation—it's an indisputable deal we made with my father, Hyuuga Hiashi.

Even now, his voice still echoes in my mind: _'Therefore, if you want to get your freedom, spend all your remaining high school years pretending to be one another.'_

Because of our clan's political powers, we were able to transfer to a local school in Konoha, with me carrying Neji-niisan's name and him carrying mine. This is the first time we have ever done anything like this, and I can tell that even a genius like Neji-niisan is unprepared for the turn of events in our lives.

Niisan already swallowed his pride and applied make-up and lipst—No! No! What I mean, is that… just as he tries, I also have to try my best to be a real man! Hopefully luck will be on my side.

I gathered all my courage to speak. "Neji-niisan." That's right… I've been unfair with Niisan. We're in this together and we must try our hardest so that our covers won't get blown.

He stopped powdering his face and shifted his gaze back to me. "Hn?"

I cleared my throat and tried hard to speak manlier, "**Trust me! I can do this! We'll never lose to him!**" I clenched my fist in determination. Yes, we'll definitely show Otou-san what we're made of.

He smiled warmly with an amazed look on his face. "You're weird…"

"Eh?" I feel my cheeks warming; I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment. But for the first time in awhile, I get to see him smile. He hasn't smiled ever since that day—that day when Father decided something on his own without even asking our opinions. If Neji-niisan hadn't made that deal with him, we would have—

My thoughts were interrupted when the car stopped.

"We're here." Neji said as he glanced outside the window to stare at some unfamiliar buildings.

"_AYa?_ You're the Hyuuga clan's Neji-kun and Hinata-chan?" An older woman gasped in surprise while looking at the two figures outside the dorm gate that evening. Hinata looked at the woman from head to toe. She could tell that this lady was already in her late-twenty's. She was wearing rugged clothes and slippers, and she was eating some 'odd food' on a stick. (Those are squid balls.) Maybe she's… what's the word? Juvenile?

"_Is there anything strange about it sempai... hmm_?" Neji, dressed up as a girl, replied calmly with a surprisingly feminine voice.

'_Sugoi. Not only does he look a lot prettier than me with that dress and make-up but he also managed to make his voice sound like a girl… as expected of Neji-niisan,' _Hinata thought while looking at him. _'Yosh, I'll try my best as well! I must look tough to give off the best impression as a man!' _She slouched a bit, shoved both her hands in her pockets, and forced herself to frown.

Neji, who had been observant of this, looked dumbfounded. _'Hinata-sama, I think you're overdoing it,' _He thought.

The woman sighed in disappointment. "Well, it's just that you're the exact opposites of what the rumors said about the both of you."

Hinata's eyebrows met in confusion as she spoke, "What do you mean, _sempai_?" She smiled secretly. _'Great. It seems I made my voice really manlier. This is an achievement!'_ She clenched her fist in joy.

The woman scanned their features before she replied. "Looking at the two of you, I didn't expect Hinata-chan here to be taller than her elder cousin… and…" She glanced at the boy, "For a guy, your face looks kind of… girly. Could it be that…" Suddenly she fell silent, looking to be in deep thought.

Both gulped nervously. '_Crap… did she figure it out?'_ Neji thought. Droplets of sweat started to form on his forehead.

Her eyes sparked as she declared teasingly, "Ah! Could it be that this Hyuuga Neji-kun is **gay**?"

"G-gay?!" Hinata blurted out in shock while her cheeks began to redden in embarrassment. _'Oh no! A guy shouldn't blush! Go away, stupid blush! Go away!'_

Neji was shocked as well and confronted the woman. "W-what nonsense are you talking about? I'm not ga—I mean, him! My cousin is straight!"

She raised both her hands in defense. "Hey, calm down, Hinata-Ojou-san. I was only joking. You two looked so tense." She chuckled. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Mitarashi Anko, one of the dorm heads. You must be tired; I guess you need to rest. Follow me." The woman introduced as Anko led them to the dorm hall and the two followed.

Neji's mood had darkened. "That was…** a** **joke?!**"

'_My goodness, Nii-san, don't forget you're a girl now!'_ However, Hinata wasn't able to voice it. "Calm down, Ne-, I mean _H-Hinata-chan._"

**Hinata-chan?** Gosh, have I ever heard Neji-niisan calling me that? (Well honestly, I wanted him to call me that—Aah!! What am I thinking?) I thought this would be easier but I was wrong. We're not even in school yet and I've already made a lot of blunders. To think, we've rehearsed it for weeks and I've been so confident that I can do it… Neji-niisan might be angry with me right now.

Aside from that, I've never seen Neji-niisan react so badly to someone's words. Maybe it's because… his sexuality had been threatened? Well, it wasn't even exactly directed at him, but somehow, I can't help but smile about it.

"Were you smiling because you find my reaction earlier unusual?" Neji suddenly spoke as we were walking down the hall way. I turned to him and our eyes met. Even in girl's clothes, Neji-niisan still looked manly when you look at his eyes.

I quickly looked away. "Er—no… I just remembered something funny." It's like he can read my mind! Am I really that easy to figure out? Well, we've known each other long enough, so it's natural, but I hate it when he looks at me like that! It makes me feel so… uncomfortable.

"Hinata-sama," He muttered in a near whisper. "Are you still worried?"

My eyes widened. "Eh? Why do you say that all of a sudden?"

"I know it was reckless to do this kind of thing, but I assure you that I can give you your freedom. You won't be tied up with our clan's stupid policies anymore."

I looked back at him and he held my eyes. This time, his gaze was more meaningful and made my heart beat unusually fast. "Niisan—"

"That's a promise," He cut me off. "As of now, you don't need to worry about anything. Trust me, I'll watch over you—no. I'll protect you."

Hearing those sincere words made my heart fill with warmth and security. I smiled. "Hai. I trust you, Niisan."

"Damn it, he's late again, huh?" Anko blurted out furiously as she glanced at her watch. "It's freakin' 9:30 in the evening! Where in the hell did that bastard go?"

"A-ano… may I ask—" '_Wait Hinata, a guy isn't supposed to act like this. Be more masculine!' _Hinata thought. She cleared her throat before she spoke up in a forced 'manlier' voice, **"Ah, whoever we are waiting for sure took a long time, eh? I'll beat him up for you, Anko-sempai!"** She clenched both her fists as if ready to fight someone.

Anko sweat-dropped but still forced a smile, "Ah, that's very sweet of you, Neji-kun…"

Neji's eyes widened. _'What the hell is she doing? I don't act like that at all!' _He gently held his cousin's elbow and pulled her closer to him. "Hinata-sama, just relax. You don't need to force yourself too hard."

"_D-demo—_" Hinata was about to say something when out of nowhere came a person wearing a mask.

"Good evening, _minna-san_!" The 'masked man' greeted.

"Don't you 'good evening' me! We've been waiting for hours! These kids are already sleepy!" The woman shot back in anger and pointed her finger towards them. "Do you have any idea who they are?!"

The man scratched his gray hair. "Well, I got lost on my way—Oh?" He took a closer look at the two of them. "Are they the ones from the Hyuuga clan?"

Anko nodded her head. "They are. The principal instructed us to give them a proper welcome when they arrive."

The gray-haired man looked at them suspiciously, his eyes betraying the emotion while the mask hid the rest of his possible expressions. His face drew closer to Hinata. "So you're Hyuuga Neji-kun?"

'_Oh no, he's too close. But he seems to be testing me or something.'_ She raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, **"Y-yes I am! You got a problem with that?"**

'_Darn, she's overdoing it again,' _Neji thought as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Hmm… tough kid. Hey Anko-san," The man approached Anko and whispered in her ear, "I didn't expect Hyuuga Neji-kun to be such a worm."

Anko whispered back, "Yeah, me too. And that Hinata-chan is bigger than him, but it seems like her chest is rather small…like an A-cup size!"

Neji gritted his teeth in anger and murmured to himself, "You damn sempais; we can hear you, you know."

"Neji-niisan, you look scary," Hinata whispered when she noticed Neji's anger. He looked like he was about to explode.

"WELL THEN!" Anko looked back at them. "We apologize for the wait! I am the head of the Girls' Dorm and this old man here is Hatake Kakashi. He's the one in charge of the Boys' Dorm. From now on, I'll be taking charge of this fine young Ojou-san," Anko said as she shoved Neji to the building on the left. "As for Neji-kun, he'll go straight to the Boys' Dorm with Kakashi—"

"What the—?!" Neji exclaimed in surprise and tried to stop Anko from shoving him. "Does that mean we're going to be separated?"

"Of course! Even though you're related, the fact that you have different genders would make it inappropriate for you to stay together. You should live in separate dorms."

"_Ch-choto-matte…_" Hinata insisted. "We didn't hear anything about this!"

"Anko-san's right," Kakashi added. "You don't need to worry; you'll see each other in school anyway. Come on, Neji-kun!" He placed his arm around Hinata's shoulder and led her to the building to the right.

"Hey!" Neji called out. "Who give you permission to touch he—him?" Neji bit his lip as realization struck him. _'Shit… what am I thinking? Since when did I start being so reckless?'_

Kakashi looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "Huh? You seem to sound… jealous?"

Abruptly, Anko let out a loud laugh. "Kakashi, I guess this young woman has mistaken you as a HOMO! Hahahaha!"

The gray-haired man sighed in disappointment. "Well, I guess it can't be helped." He moved his hand away from Hinata. "I'll keep my distance. So don't worry too much…" Kakashi looked at him with an amused look in his eyes, "…Oujo-san."

Neji forced a nod. He can feel that Kakashi's smiling beneath the mask and it's pissing him off. _'Someday I'll rip that silly mask of yours, I swear.'_

"Anyway, you don't need to worry. You're from the Hyuuga clan so we treat you as V.I.P. in our school. The principal already decided that we will give you private dorm rooms."

"Well, that's a relief," Neji said calmly and looked back at Hinata. "I'll see you tomorrow… _Neji-kun._"

She smiled. "Hai, _Hinata-chan._" Inside, however, they were both thinking along the same lines: _'Ugh, this is really inconvenient.'_

They exchanged meaningful glances that weren't able to escape Anko's and Kakashi's keen eyes.

Anko flashed a naughty smile. "Hmm… it seems like both of you share a very close relationship. Could it be that you two are… **lovers?"**

"L-LOVERS?!" Both blurted out in shock.

Hinata shook her head vigorously with her cheeks blushing intensely. "Nothing of the sort!"

"Of course we're not," Neji spoke seriously and looked away. "We treat each other as siblings. Nothing more."

Hinata's eyes widened upon noticing the red marks on her cousin's face. _'Huh? Neji-niisan is… blushing?!'_

"Hai, hai, no need to be so defensive," Kakashi said and took a look at his watch. "It's getting late; we'll take you to your rooms."

That night, Kakashi-sempai led me inside the Boys' Dorm building and showed me around. At first, I was quite reluctant if I should enter or not, but since Neji-niisan managed to make it inside the Girls' Dorm, I believe I can do it as well. It was really a good thing that we arrived at school in the evening. There was no risk of anyone bothering us yet.

Sigh! I've just started to realize how hard it is to conceal our gender. I have to be more careful!

"Uh, I forgot to say something, Neji-kun," Kakashi suddenly said. "We didn't expect that the majority of the students enrolled this year would be guys. Unfortunately, the dorms weren't prepared for it. _Sumimasen…_" He bowed his head as a sign of apology.

I have a bad feeling about this. "Uh, what are you trying to say, Sempai?"

He opened the door of a room before he replied, "You have roommates."

I opened my mouth in shock. "Nani?!" The moment the door opened, what flashed before my eyes were two men—a weird guy with dark glasses sitting at the edge of a bed (the lower part of the double-decked bed) reading a book while the other one was lying on the carpeted floor eating some snacks. Both of them stopped what they were doing and turned their attention towards me.

"Konnichiwa, Hyuuga-san! I'm Inuzuka Kiba! Nice to meet ya!" The brown-haired guy greeted with a cocky smile. He pulled himself up the floor and walked towards me. The other one remained silent, but I can still feel him staring at me despite the dark glasses he's wearing.

Oh no, I want to faint. Why do I have to share a room with two guys?!

_**TBC**_


	2. Roomies!

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Two: Roomies!**

"Konnichiwa, Hyuuga-san! I'm Inuzuka Kiba! Nice to meet ya!" The brown-haired guy greeted happily while giving me a light pat on the shoulder. He was smiling so widely and he seems to be a nice and friendly person, but that's not the issue here…

"A-ah…h-hi?" I greeted back nervously with a lower voice. The sight of two men inside the dorm room made me want to run away. Not only I would be in close contact with guys, but I could be discovered as well! What am I going to do? All the trouble Neji-niisan and I have gone through will surely go to waste!

"Eh? What's wrong Neji-kun?" asked Kakashi. "You look pale. You don't mind sharing a room with them, do you?"

All right, I must calm down. Didn't I just promise to myself that I should try my best not to get discovered? "Uh…I… I don't mind at all, sempai! Ahem! After all, **we're all boys!**" I replied while forcing a smile as I reluctantly entered the room.

I took a glance around—it was a spacious room with a bunk bed on the right side and a single bed in the opposite, which I think is my bed. My luggage, which had been brought by earlier, was even there.

"Well, that's good to hear. I'll be on my way then," Kakashi declared and smiled back at me. "If you need something, just go to the main office of this building. Ja'ne!"

"See you around, sempai!" Kiba said, still smiling as Kakashi walked away from the room. The moment the brown-haired guy closed the door behind him, he quickly placed an arm around my shoulder and whispered something. "Hey new kid, why are you hanging out with that old man at this time of night?" He asked seriously. I was quite surprised to find that his earlier smile disappeared.

"Ah…Sempai just showed me around to get me acquainted with everything here. I don't really see any problem with that…" I whispered back as I tried my best to jerk his arm away without offending him. After all, this is normal for **guys.**

"Hmm… people like you could get molested just by hanging out with him, don't you know that?"

That startled me a lot. "What?!"

"You didn't hear that Kakashi-sempai has been rumored to be a homosexual? With that pretty face of yours, you could get—" His words were cut off when a pillow tossed from nowhere hit Kiba on the head. "Ow!" The brown-haired guy shot a hot glare at the culprit. "What the hell, Shino?! Why'd you do that?" He angrily yelled at the guy with the glasses, presumably 'Shino.' Kiba was obviously embarrassed.

"Don't scare him," The guy with the glasses spoke coldly. He was already reading the book again. "And why are you calling him 'kid'? He's a year older than us. You should learn to respect him."

"So what? He's shorter!"

Shorter? I must admit… Kiba's right. Come to think of it, even though I had cut my hair short and wear Niisan's clothes, our heights still make a difference. Aside from that, these guys seem to know of me before they even met me. Are we really that popular?

"A-and you are?" I asked. I had already heard his name was "Shino," but it was best to ask and make sure, plus it showed respect. I don't know, but for some reason it feels kind of awkward asking him. The way he speaks really creeps me out.

Shino's gaze shifted towards me. "I'm Aburame Shino." I still can't read any emotion in his face because of the glasses. Why is he wearing those at night anyway? "Just ignore this guy here, 'roommate-san.' His idiocy is incurable," He said steadily as he referred to Kiba before looking back to his book.

"Shut up, Shino!" Kiba shot back, his face red with anger.

I sweatdropped. _'They don't seem to get along well.' _"That was nothing!" I said with a confident smile as I sat on the edge of the bed, "A guy like me doesn't fall for these things easily! Besides, even if Kakashi-sempai is gay, he wouldn't like it if he discovered I'm a g—" I covered my mouth when I realized what I almost said. Oh crap!

Kiba's eyebrows arched in confusion and he asked, "Eh? A 'what,' Hyuuga-san?" Even Shino paused from reading and turned his attention back on me.

I need to say something! I smiled nervously. "What I mean to say is that—I'm not usually the type that gays like!"

Kiba breathed a sigh of relief and patted me on the back. "Oh! Souka! For a moment there, I thought you were going to say that you're a homo, too. Heh, it can't be helped." I was quite startled to see him inching closer to me. "You do look like a girl anyway. And I must admit… you're pretty cute…"

Oh no… had I been discovered? My heart was pounding so fast at that moment as I met Kiba's stare. There was no sign of suspicion in his eyes—that means he hasn't figured it out yet. Also, I just noticed that this guy had red blotches on both sides of his face… I wonder what those are. Tattoos, maybe?

Without any warning, Kiba gave me a quick pat on the chest. "If you have boobs, wouldn't it be funny?" He said with a light chuckle.

"Aah!" I quickly bolted up from the bed, surprising both my new roommates. My God, what a complicated feeling! I could feel my cheeks starting to heat up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kiba asked, confused, unaware that it was actually the light contact between his hand and my chest that freaked me out so badly.

I reminded myself that these boys don't know that I'm a girl, and that it was really unusual for someone to react this way. I bowed my head in apology. "I'm sorry for acting in a weird way. I think I'm just exhausted from the trip."

When Kiba noticed the blush on my face, he burst out in laughter. "You're an interesting guy! I think I'm really gonna like you!"

Thank God I haven't been discovered yet. But deep down, I feel really bad. Are my breasts really that small that someone wouldn't feel anything upon touching them? Well, I'm wearing a vest; it really isn't noticeable. When I gained back my sanity, I spoke, although I didn't have the courage to look Kiba straight in the eyes. "Um… Inuzuka-san, right?"

"No need to be formal!" He grinned. "Just call me Kiba! In return, can I call you Neji instead?"

This time Shino tossed the book he was reading at Kiba's head, which made the brown-haired boy moan in pain. My eyes rounded when I noticed a huge lump starting to grow where the book had made contact.

"Why hit me again, you sadistic freak?! That hurts!" Kiba yelled furiously at Shino, whom remained calm. It seems like they're used to arguing with each other.

"Moron, didn't I tell you to respect him?"

"I'm gonna kill you!" The brown-haired boy quickly clenched his fist and attacked Shino.

I just remained sitting on the edge of the bed, flabbergasted. _'With these kind of guys as my roommates, am I really going to be okay?'_

The next day, Hinata woke up early in the morning and left the Boys' Dorm. _'I must tell Neji-niisan about my roommates. He deserves to know,' _She thought as she slowly snuck inside the back door of the Girls' Dorm. After all, she had already been told by Kakashi that boys weren't allowed to enter this territory. Still, she needed to see Neji and ask him to help her find a way to resolve the problem.

She was about to climb up the stairs heading to the bedrooms when she caught sight of someone heading in her direction. Without thinking, she quickly entered the nearest restroom to hide herself. Her head peeked out the slightly opened door to check if the coast was clear. Upon noticing that the person was nowhere in sight, she hurriedly went out of the door, but then her face accidentally collided with someone's chest. _'Oh no! Someone saw me!'_

She quickly bowed her head and apologized to the person. "Gomen! I'm a transfer student! I got lost and—"

"H-Hinata-sama?"

Hinata's face brightened when she heard the familiar voice. She looked up and saw Neji standing there. Though he looked more like a woman because of the girl's uniform he was wearing, she could still see the manly emotion that was reflected in his white eyes.

"Neji-niisan!" She muttered in delight. "I…I came here to see you!"

"Idiot!" He blurted out angrily but kept his voice low. "You shouldn't be here! Someone could have—"

A girl who had just come out from one of the cubicles shouted, "Aah!! What are you doing here in the Ladies' restroom, you pervert?!"

Hinata looked behind and saw the girl glaring accusingly at her. "Eh? Is she referring to me?" Hinata said with a clueless look. She only realized what the girl meant when she remembered that she was wearing a boy's uniform.

Neji tilted her head to face him. "Don't show your face!" He grabbed her hand. "Come on, we have to get out of here!" The two of them hurriedly made their way out of the Girls' Dorm through the backdoor.

"Going to the Girls' Dorm recklessly in the morning… what were you thinking?" Ever since we had left the dorm and started toward the school, Neji-niisan hadn't stopped scolding me. "If somebody else caught you, who knows what would have happened?"

"Neji-niisan, it's just that—" I tried to speak out to him when I noticed how tight he had been holding my hand all this time.

"What?" He turned back and looked at me, expecting an answer.

I avoided meeting his eyes and spoke softly. "Um… I guess you can let go of my hand now."

Neji's eyes widened in realization. He immediately let my hand go and looked away. I noticed then that he stopped scolding me and just continued walking with me through the school halls.

Geez… why can't I just let him hold my hand for awhile? It's just a hand holding another hand, and it's not like we never held hands before… but this time, it really felt awkward, though it was probably because the students we walked by were giving us odd looks.

When I wasn't able to stand the silence, I decided to ask him something. "So how was your sleep last night? Was it peaceful?"

He paused for a moment then asked, "Do I look like I had a peaceful night?"

When I turned to look at him very closely, I gasped in surprise upon noticing the dark marks below his eyelids. It looked like he hadn't been able to sleep at all! "Niisan, you have panda-eyes! Does that mean you have roommates, too?"

"No," He replied. "It was like Anko-sempai said; I was given a room to myself. The girls next door are just noisy. They kept me up all night." He looked at me suspiciously. "By 'too,' do you mean you're sharing a room with someone?"

"Well, actually—" I bit my lip. Is this the right time to tell him? For some reason, I was having doubts. He would get mad if he knew that I spent a night with two male roommates. But I still have to tell him! Is that or isn't that the sole purpose of sneaking out into the Girls' Dorm early in the morning? "Um… you see—"

"Allow me introduce our new students, Hyuuga Neji-kun and Hyuuga Hinata-chan," A teacher announced the moment we stepped inside the classroom. With that, I wasn't able to tell Niisan about it. We entered the room quietly and went back to paying more attention to hiding our true genders.

The teacher continued. "They were previously enrolled in a posh academy, so I think there will be some things they don't understand, so…everyone should try to help them out, all right?"

"HAI, SENSEI!!" The whole class chorused in agreement. We were then directed by the teacher to our seats and I was quite thankful that I sat behind Niisan.

"Are those the rumored transferees from the Hyuuga clan?"

"Unbelievable. The guy really is a shrimp… but still, he's cute."

"Never mind the guy. The girl looks like a model. I wonder if she has a boyfriend?"

I tried my best to ignore the students gossiping about us and focused my attention to Niisan, whom was sitting quietly in front of me. He seemed to be completely unaffected by the environment—the environment being a class where he's a year older than everyone else. Why isn't he showing any emotions? Doesn't he feel bad for being held back as a Junior?

More importantly, he could have done a few alterations in his personal records and enrolled in a Senior class. Why had he forced himself to enroll in the same class as me? Aah! I don't know! I can't understand what he's thinking at all!

'_Even though I am happy that Neji-niisan and I are close, I think he still doesn't completely trust me, or think that I trust him. After all, he used to hate me—'_ I sighed in disappointment and tried to rid my mind of the memories_. 'I hope a time comes when he will be able to tell me how he truly feels.'_

When our classes ended, Neji-niisan and I proceeded to go back to our own dorms. I didn't know what possessed me, but I had decided not to tell Niisan about the roommate issue. It was then that I realized that I wanted to solve this problem by myself without being a burden to Niisan. This whole time I've been depending solely on him and it's not fair. I need to take on a few burdens for myself.

I was on my way to the main office to check if there were now private rooms available when I heard someone calling to me from behind.

"Hey, Neji! Wait up!"

No doubt about it; that was Kiba's voice. I turned around and replied, "Oh, it's you, Ki—"

I wasn't able to finish because a huge white dog had bounded from apparently no where and pounced on me. "WAAHHH!!" I screeched in surprise. The dog was still licking my face when I saw Kiba rushing towards me.

"W-WHAT'S WITH THIS DOG?!" I asked him in astonishment as I tried to push the large canine off of me.

Kiba's eyebrows arched in confusion as he observed us closely. "Whoa! That's pretty rare! He's a dog I found a year ago, Akamaru. We've been close ever since the school approved of him living around the dorms, but I know that aside from me… he doesn't like anyone but** women."**

My face paled. "Eh?" I gulped in nervousness. Kiba would surely figure out that I'm a girl!

"Sorry, maybe he thinks you're a girl. It's natural that he made a mistake; he's just a dog ya know!" Kiba chuckled as he pulled Akamaru's leash and tied him to a nearby post. "By the way, why didn't you wait for us this morning? We could've gone to school together."

"Ah, that's—" Gosh, due to my fear of being discovered, I woke up an hour earlier than them. But what could I use as an excuse? I was unprepared for the questioning. "B-because…" Oh no, I really hate it when I'm stammering like this; Kiba seems to be expecting an answer. "I went outside for exercise!" I finally exclaimed, happy that inspiration had struck. "Young boys like us need to maintain our muscles, you know!"

Kiba let out a loud laugh. "Maintain? You obviously don't have abs, or any muscle mass to speak of. I guess you're just trying hard to get some, huh?" I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Speaking of which, Neji!" He placed an arm around me and whispered, "I know you just transferred here, but… how were the girls at your previous school?"

Don't ask a girl about something like that! I swallowed with my cheeks reddening. "I… well…I t-think that it depends on the person, but…?" Oh goodness, it's a secret that I'm a girl anyway.

The brown-haired guy pouted. "I see you haven't done** it** yet either, huh?"

My blush was getting worse and I backed away from him. 'Please stop it already!' Ah, how badly I wanted to say that, but I can't!

"Well, anyway..." Kiba continued and flashed a naughty grin. "When you're around other guys your own age, these things are important, right? Now's the time—"

"HYUUGA NEJI-KUN, I FINALLY FOUND YOU!" Kiba's words were cut off by a loud voice a few feet away from us. Deep down, I was thankful that someone interrupted us. I could have exploded thanks to the 'weird things' Kiba was telling me.

Kiba looked back, obviously annoyed at the person. "Hey, you! Don't you know that shouting in the dorms is strictly prohibited?!"

I sweatdropped. _'Kiba-kun, you're shouting, too…'_

"Tut-tut! Temper, temper, Kiba-kun! Your flame of youth won't burn bright if you keep on frowning like that!" The boy approached us and I freaked out when I noticed his appearance in a closer proximity—Wah! He had a weird haircut and thick eyebrows! First, my roommates… and now… this guy? Is there an end to all this weirdness?

"Oh, it's you, Lee-sempai," Kiba muttered in surprise.

I whispered to Kiba, "You know him?"

"Of course, he's the Captain of a club I'm in… the Karate Club."

What? This guy is already a Senior? I tried my best to force a smile and faced this 'Lee' guy. "Ah, you called… Sempai?"

He shook his head in disappointment. "Not good! Not good at all! Young people shouldn't answer with such small voices!"

I choked. This is really getting weird… is this a punishment for cross-dressing and entering a local school?

"I'm Rock Lee, also known as the School Karate Club's Biggest Talent; they call me 'Konoha's Green Beast!'" He said proudly and showed off a weird pose. "I've heard that the Hyuuga clan had its own dojo. I guess you're great in karate skills, right? Maybe you should join our club!"

Kiba's eyes widened in amazement and he looked at me. "What? All this time, you knew something about Martial arts and you didn't even tell me?"

I pursed my lips again out of bitterness. _'You're both wrong, Kiba kun, Lee-sempai. In our clan, I'm the only one who doesn't possess that talent.' _"I'm sorry but…"

I wasn't able to deny anything before both of them quickly grabbed my arms and forcefully dragged me away. "Come on! Don't be shy! Show us your talent!" Lee exclaimed excitedly as they both led me out of the dorm.

"I thought you were just another wimp, Neji!" Kiba said. "Sorry I underestimated you! All right! I'll test your skills by being your first opponent!"

"WAIT! Where are you guys taking me?! Let me go!" I tried my best to free myself but to no avail. They're really strong. Well, they're men anyway, and my strength as a woman was useless in this situation. Perhaps all I can do is yell my heart out? "LET ME GO!!"

_**TBC**_

**A/N: **Sorry, this chapter's a bit rushed. I was busy studying with my exams. Is the story okay so far? Thanks again to DesertRoseTemari for beta-reading, sorry for all the trouble -huggles online sis- And for the lovely reviews, ice creams for **DesertRoseTemari, mshinata, salote, Mila **and **kawaiiS.** Hope you guys stay tuned for the next chap!


	3. Determination

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Three: Determination**

_**That afternoon, at the school library…**_

"And that guy was really, really, cute! He was like this, and…"

"OH MY GOSH, REALLY?!"

"Really! And then _blah, blah blah…_"

_**Pathetic.**_

That was the first word that came to mind when Neji overheard the conversing girls. Really, why did girls insist on acting like that when in a group? And making such a loud fuss, too; had they forgotten they were in a library? Women—he couldn't understand them at all.

He was certainly glad that he had his own room in the Girls' Dorm. If he had female roommates, it would have been much more difficult to hide his true gender. He could already imagine the type of hell that would occur if a bunch of girls discovered he was actually a man.

The Hyuuga let out a sigh. "I guess I'm more worried about Hinata-sama right now… It's like she's hiding something from me. I think I should go to the Boys' Dorm to see how she's doing," He murmured to himself as he flipped the pages of a book. "No… that's not right. I should learn to trust her more. After all, she already assured me that she's fine by herself…"

Suddenly, he remembered what Hinata had said back at the restroom:

"_**I… I came here to see you!"**_

"Did she really mean….that?" He suddenly felt his heart beating faster, but he shook his head to erase the thoughts. "Tch, why should I care? She was obviously there for another reason."

In the end, he decided to leave the library and go to the Boys' Dorm after all. _'This is foolishness… but I really want to see her now…'_As he marched through the hall, he noticed a lot of people were turning to look at him. He kept his gaze straight ahead and thought,_'I think I should worry about myself more.'_ Despite the confidence he felt in himself to play his part, he still couldn't erase the nagging doubt that somebody would suspect him.

Without warning, someone hugged him from behind. "Hinata-chan!" A girl's voice squealed.

Neji was so shocked that he wasn't able to reply. The bones subjected to the hug felt like they were going to break from how tight a hold this girl had on him.

"I was looking everywhere for you! I was starting to think I wouldn't find you!"

"Uh… you are?" He finally asked as he looked over his shoulder to see a blonde girl smiling cheerfully at him.

"I'm your classmate, Yamanaka Ino! Don't you remember? I sat in the seat next to you!"

'_My mind was too pre-occupied to remember faces,' _Neji thought as he tried to push her away, but to no avail. The more attempts he made at removing her, the more tightly she held on.

"Ino, don't just hug her without any warning," A pink-haired girl said. Neji assumed she was a friend of this 'Ino' girl. "No wonder people mistake you as a lesbian."

"Mind your own business, Sakura!" Ino replied, but she released Neji from her grip with a slight pout. Neji breathed a sigh of relief when the bone-crushing force was finally gone, but turned to face the blonde and pink-haired girls, mostly because he was afraid of another hug and it was easier to ward off a frontal attack. "You know I can't help it if I see another pretty face!" The blonde girl giggled, her eyes sparkling as her attention went back to Neji.

The Hyuuga felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. _'Is she really a lesbian?! For some reason, this type of thing creeps me out.' _

The other girl rolled her eyes at Ino and spoke, "Apologies on my friend's behalf, Hinata-san. Ino's just too affectionate when it comes to beautiful women."

Neji smiled his most beautiful smile and tried his best to make his voice sound feminine. "_No, it's okay." _

"We're both in the same class as you are, if you've forgotten. I'm Haruno Sakura; it's an honor to personally meet you, Hinata-san." The pink-haired girl extended her hand and he accepted it.

"Same here." Neji fixed his gaze on Ino, whom was still looking at him in a daze. _'I think she won't be much of a problem.'_

Sakura whispered to him, "Uh, I figure you should know…Ino hates all men. Be thankful that you're not a guy. Ino would collapse if she found out she willingly touched one."

He cocked an eyebrow and whispered back, "I'm obviously a girl. Why in the world would you compare me to a man at all?"

The pink-haired girl winked at him. "If you want my honest opinion, your height and build look exactly like a man's. I might even think you were male if you weren't wearing that uniform."

Under those pink locks and wide forehead was obviously a thinking machine; what a smart girl Sakura was turning out to be. _'Well, this Sakura girl is a woman. Her ability to sense things is obviously lower than a man's would be. It won't take much to fool her.'_

He was thoroughly convinced that he was smarter than she was, and in a show of femininity and wonderful acting, he covered his mouth and put on his best I'm-about-to-burst-into-tears expression. _"How could you…"_ Sakura's green eyes widened to see the sudden change of his facial expression. _"Just because my height and build is like a boy's! Evil! I just want to die!"_

Neji pretended to sulk in a corner, as if he was crying. He had gained the attention of everyone around. The blonde girl rushed towards him and patted him on the back. "Sakura, what have you done to her?!" Ino demanded as she shot a glare at her pink-haired friend.

Sakura felt guilty and spoke, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend her. It's just that—"

"Students of Konoha High!" A voice echoed from the announcement speakers around the school. "A match is currently being held for the Karate Club! It's Inuzuka Kiba versus the transferee student, Hyuuga Neji! I encourage everyone to go watch at the School Stadium!"

Neji's eyes widened in shock at these words, his act forgotten. _'What the--? That's not Hinata-sama, is it?'_

Meanwhile, Hinata was in the Karate club's changing room and was putting on the Karate clothes Lee had given her earlier. _'I shouldn't be nervous. As a man, I have to accept this challenge. Even if I was dragged here, I still have to prove to everyone that I deserve to carry Neji-niisan's name!' _She clenched her fist in determination and left the dressing room, all set to face her opponent. _'I'll just apply the few things I've learned in the dojo before… and everything should turn out okay.'_

Lee's face brightened when he saw how energized Hinata now was. He announced, "All right! Let's get it on!" The people around the stadium all applauded, clearly anticipating the upcoming match. "The rules are simple. The first person to make his opponent land face first on the floor wins!" Another round of applause, and then Lee made the signal to start.

"Yosh! I'm getting fired up!" Kiba declared excitedly as he moved into a fighting pose. "Show me what you got, Neji!"

Hinata moved her hands into a position she was familiar with. _'I still have a bad feeling about this…Why does Kiba have to be my opponent? This is not good at all…'_

Kiba had opened the attack for Hinata, but when he realized his roommate wasn't going to make the first move, he didn't let it go to waste. Hinata managed to dodge the first attack, but Kiba was fast, and soon she was moving across the floor, dodging and deflecting the attacks aimed at her the best she could. She was so concentrated on the match that she didn't notice Neji, Sakura, and Ino entering the stadium.

"I don't get it, Hinata-chan!" Ino whined at Neji. "Why do we have to watch a stupid karate match? This place is filled with those disgusting _men!_"

Neji was obviously annoyed at the girl's whining, but he tried to keep his cool and spoke softly, "It's okay to go ahead without me, Ino-san. I can watch the match by myself."

"Wah! That hurts, Hinata-chan!" The blonde girl hugged him again so tightly that he almost couldn't breathe. "Are you trying to ditch us?!"

"Ino, stop complaining and just watch the match with Hinata-san. She did say that it was her cousin who accepted the challenge," Sakura stated as they found seats amongst the other students. "Speaking of which, we've already missed the very start."

Neji quickly jerked Ino's arms away and turned his attention to the center of the stadium—true enough, Hinata was in the middle of a match with some guy. Panic immediately shown in his eyes. _'What the hell is she doing there?! She's not good with Martial Arts—Shit! I should do something!' _The Hyuuga quickly thought of a way to go closer to the match, but being with these two women wouldn't make it easy. He came up with an excuse and told the girls, "Um… excuse me, I need to go to the restroom."

Sakura nodded. "All right."

"I'll go with you!" Ino said.

'_Damn. She's really hard to get rid of.' _He forced a smile and spoke, "I won't be gone long. You should just stay here and keep Sakura-san company."

"Well, if you say so…" The blonde girl was forced to sit down and stay there. Neji immediately made his way closer to the fight.

Hinata was still concentrating on her match. She was already exhausted and wanted to give up, but she reminded herself fervently that it would cause both her and her Niisan shame. _'I gained confidence because of Neji-niisan. I wanted to have something in common with him! That's why… that's why… I won't lose!'_

"Come on! Bring it on!" Kiba declared challengingly as he fought off all Hinata's moves with more ease than she did his, but Hinata was persistent. No matter how many times she was knocked away, she quickly made her counter attack. "Come on! Come on! You're really hard to get rid of!"

After a series of attacks from Kiba, Hinata failed to dodge and was knocked toward the floor, but she quickly placed both of her hands down to stop herself. If her face touched the floor, it would be over. When she looked up, she saw someone she didn't expect to see.

'_Neji-niisan! What is he doing here?!'_

Neji, who had caught Hinata's attention on him, instantly signaled for her to give up. However, Hinata did the opposite. She stood up and smiled at him warmly. "It's okay. I can do this!" She said in determination and proceeded to get back into the match, this time with the intent of finishing it.

Nejis eyes widened in amazement and he could feel his heart beating unusually fast. _'Why… why did she smile at me that way?'_

Hinata had gained the advantage as she fought off Kiba's attacks. She could hear the applause around them getting louder. The crowd was even cheering her name now—scratch that, Neji's name.

Kiba gritted his teeth. "Dammit…" He took a turn and was about to apply another karate move when his elbow accidentally connected with Hinata's ribs, digging into her with too much force. He had miscalculated her location and been too close for the turn. One moment she was standing there with a shocked look on her face, and the next she was falling, unconscious.

Panic appeared on Kiba's face and he immediately got on his knees next to Hinata. "Neji! Neji! Neji, what's the matter?" He shook her in an attempt to wake her up. "Neji! Oh no… this can't be happening… Everyone, he fainted!" The people around them started to worry as well. The match was to get the person down, not to knock them out, and Kiba had performed an accidental move in a sensitive area. There was no telling what damage could have been caused.

'_Hinata-sama!'_ Neji hurriedly made his way to his unconscious cousin before too many people could get in the way. "Out of the way! Let me through!" He said as he pushed through the people who had already moved in.

"I'll take care of him," Neji said as he grabbed Hinata from Kiba's arms. "So you go and get the school doctor."

"No way, lady!" Kiba replied. "I'll take him! It's my fault that…"

"I'm his cousin, Hyuuga Hinata. I know how to deal with him when it comes to these things."

"But—"

'_What the hell?! This guy sure is stubborn.'_ He held the urge to scold the guy and spoke in a soft manner, "Don't worry, he's fine. He just passed out, it's probably nothing big. Now go and get the doctor!"

Having no choice, Kiba nodded his head. "Okay!" The Inuzuka quickly rushed his way outside of the stadium in search for the school doctor.

_**That evening, at the school clinic…**_

"…Hinata-san. Hinata-san!"

Neji was in the middle of his nap when he felt someone nudging his body, forcing him to wake up. "Mm…" However, he refused to wake. The nap was a blessing after his lack of sleep the night before.

"Don't just sleep here! Wake up, Hinata-san!"

'_Hinata?'_ At the mention of the name, he immediately sat up, unaware that he had hit Kiba's face with his head. "Hinata-sama?!" He blurted out in panic. Realization quickly struck him and he muttered, "Oh, right. I **am** Hinata."

"Ouch…" Kiba shot a glare at him as he wiped the blood from his nose. "That hurt, woman!"

'_I have no intention of apologizing to this guy.'_ Neji cocked an eyebrow and smiled nastily. "Why is your nose bleeding? Aroused from seeing me in my sleep, are you?"

Kiba's cheeks blushed a bit. "Why, you! Don't think I won't hit you just because you're a girl!"

Neji pretended to quiver in fear and spoke sarcastically, "Ooh, I'm so scared. Look, I'm trembling like a leaf."

"Excuse me, but could you keep it down?" The school doctor, whom had earlier been introduced as Yakushi Kabuto, spoke firmly. "Can't you see that this is the school clinic?"

'_Man, he sure has a nasty temper,' _Neji thought as he stood up from the chair near the bed where Hinata was lying. "So how is he?"

"He's just knocked out... that's all," The doctor answered simply. "His blood pressure and pulse rate are both stable. His health is normal too. The reason why he is still unconcious is probably because of a slight concussion."

Kiba's face brightened. "Thank God, Neji!" He was almost teary-eyed now. "If anything was wrong with you, I would've had to make plans to take care of you for the rest of my life!"

Kabuto pushed his glasses upwards. "Geez, quit getting all worked up just because someone got knocked out."

"Nn…" Hinata slowly opened her eyes and saw Kiba smiling at her.

"Neji!" Kiba called out, happy that she was already conscious.

"Oh? Awake already?" Kabuto said calmly.

"Kiba…?" She moaned as she shifted her gaze towards the other figure beside Kiba. _'N-Neji-niisan…' _She thought, her heart starting to warm as she met his eyes. _'I…I couldn't win the match at the end. I'm so sorry, Niisan…'_

"Spectators leave **now**!" Kabuto snapped as he kicked Kiba toward the door.

"What are you doing, you retarded doctor?!" The brown-haired guy yelled angrily.

"Whoa, are you going against my orders? What **bravery.**" The doctor stared at him musingly and crossed his arms over his chest. "Shall I step on your face? It feels so good to step on people's faces."

Without warning, Neji grabbed Kiba's collar and dragged him away by force, heading outside the school clinic. "Let's go."

"Eh! Ahhh, hey, Hinata-san!"

"Yes, yes. Hurry and leave, you brats. This isn't a waiting room," The doctor said as he watched the two leave. "If you want to wait outside, that's your decision."

"Hey wait! Let go already, you stupid woman!" Kiba yelled, but the Hyuuga ignored him. _'God, I can't free myself. She's awfully strong. Is she really a woman?'_ Kiba thought, confused.

When they reached the corridors, Neji finally released Kiba and asked him seriously, "Seeing you all worked up about this, I'm guessing you're not someone my cousin just met, correct?"

The Inuzuka was a bit surprised to see that Neji's feminine expression had changed. _'It's as if she's acting more like a man now! But that's silly! This is what you get for watching too much TV, Kiba!'_ He answered, "Of course! I'm none other than Neji's roommate, Inuzuka Kiba!"

"Are you fully awake now?" Kabuto asked Hinata when they had finally been left alone.

"Yes," Hinata answered as she struggled to sit up in the bed. _'I remember now… Kiba hit me with his elbow and I passed out.'_

"Well, that's good."

'_If I don't hurry and get out of the school clinic…'_ "Umm… I'm completely fine now so…"She murmured as she hurriedly got herself off the bed.

"Well then, how about you answer something with that completely fine head of yours..." All of a sudden, Hinata found herself cornered against the wall by the doctor. He met her eyes and muttered seriously, "How come a girl like you is wearing a boy's uniform, hmm?"

Hinata felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen. _'Wh-What should I do… He knows…?!'_

The doctor smirked. "I'd certainly like to know the answer to that."

Suddenly, the door opened—

It was Neji wearing quite the unhappy expression.

"Excuse me, Kabuto-sensei," He told the doctor with respect and turned to Hinata. "Neji, it's getting late. Let's hurry and go back to our dorms."

"Y-yeah. Thanks… Hinata-chan!" She quickly hurried her way towards Neji. '_I'm saved! I have to get out of here quick!'_ "Well then, excuse me…"

"Neji-kun!" The doctor called out. Hinata turned her head reluctantly as the doctor continued. "I'm looking forward to our next meeting." With that, Hinata became so nervous that she quickened her pace and walked with Neji out of the room.

'_A pair of cross-dressers?'_ Kabuto thought with a sly smile on his face as he watched the two leave the clinic. _'Interesting…'_

_**TBC**_

**A/N:** If you're wondering why I put Kabuto in this story (he is a villain in the actual Naruto story line, I know), it's because I'm still thankful that he's the one who tended Hinata's injuries during the Chuunin exam XD Thanks for the reviews, **DesertRoseTemari, mshinata, loveslavender, HinataDelDesiertoUchija** and **Shadowblitz**... yummy chocolate chip cookies for the five of you! OMG DRT-san, you're a life-saver! Thank you so much for the faster beta and for rephrasing some sentences here! I'm so grateful to have you as my beta-reader! **PLEASE REVIEW.**


	4. Their Feelings

**WARNING:** _This chapter hasn't been beta-read yet so please don't be harsh with the grammar and spelling mistakes. I just don't want my readers to think that I'm not updating this story. My beta-reader DesertRoseTemari is having internet problems that's why she won't be able to send me the beta-read version. So without her, I'm not confident with this chapter's English and the following chapters as well. Sorry._

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Four: Their Feelings**

'_What should I do…' _

'_What should I do?'_

'_What should I do!' I've been completely discovered!' _These thoughts keep on crowding in my mind as Neji-niisan and I were walking on our way to our own respective dorms. _'But if I stay calm, maybe I can bluff him…No… we're talking about the school doctor here… and with the way he talks… Whatever it is… I have to find a way out of this… And until then, I have to avoid that doctor at all cost!' _

"Hey watch it!" Neji called out as he quickly gripped an arm around my body and pulled me backwards. I realized then that I was about to hit myself on a post. My cheeks reddened at the slight contact of our bodies. Surely enough, he's still a man under those lady clothes. Upon noticing that I'm okay, he gently let me go. I was a bit confused because I expected that he would scold me for being so absent-minded—but surprisingly, he didn't do so. He just continued walking through the school path way.

I scratched my head in shame, "I'm sorry, Niisan. This is because I probably got dizzy when I got knocked out. I didn't see it." Neji just nodded as a response. Speaking of which, I was so bothered with those thoughts that I wasn't able to talk to Niisan. Well, he didn't even say a word ever since we left the clinic. I thought that he was going to ask me about the Karate match. I wonder what's wrong with him?

I quickly thought of something to talk about to avoid an awkward moment, "Ah! By the way, what happened to Kiba?"

With the mention of my roommate's name, I noticed that Neji's expression turned dark. He paused for awhile before he answered, "He was called by the Captain of the Karate Club but I guess that he had already returned to the dorm by now." This time, Niisan fastened his pace and walked ahead of me.

'_Kiba's back on the dorm? That means… I have to spend another night with those guys again. But there's a much more troublesome problem right now that I must handle alone!' _I thought as I remembered the school doctor's face. _'And for the meantime, I shouldn't tell Neji-niisan about it. But... is it really okay to keep on hiding these secrets to him?'_

Suddenly, Neji-niisan stopped walking and asked me seriously, "Hinata-sama, did you mean it when you said you trust me?" Since it was his back that was facing towards me, I failed to see what possible expression he had now.

"Of course," I answered simply, "Why do you ask?"

Neji turned his head slightly to look at me but immediately turned back and shrugged, "Nothing."He walked towards the Girls' dorm, "I'll go ahead." He said.

"Sure, see you tomorrow, Niisan." I replied as we separated ways. My mind was still pre-occupied about how to deal with the school doctor when I reached my room at the Boys' dorm. I reluctantly opened the door and declared, "_Tadaima!_" What surprised me is so see Kiba rushing towards me with his eyes bursting into tears.

"NEJIII! I'm so sorry! Because of my carelessness…" Kiba cried out as he held on my shoulder for support. For a tough guy like him, it's kind of disturbing seeing him in this state.

"It… it's okay, Kiba! No harm done!" I replied, trying to find ways to comfort him. I also noticed that Shino, who was busy typing on his laptop, turned towards us and showed off an odd look. Well, for a busy guy like him, I'm sure he wasn't aware on what happened earlier. It might be more troublesome to explain those things to my other roommate. I patted Kiba's back and laughed, "How stupid. You're a guy, don't cry!"

Hearing my remark, Shino turned his attention back to his laptop, "Hmm… I guess it's just Kiba being himself again." He murmured to himself.

Kiba stared at me with an amazed look on his face as tears of joy started to burst out in his eyes. "Ne-Neji…y-you're…" He muttered and my eyes widened when I noticed the icky liquid that was starting to flow down from his nose. "YOU'RE SUCH A NICE GUY! You're my best friend in the world!"

I sweat-dropped and handed him a clean handkerchief. "Here, wipe your nose." '_Best friend…when did that happen…?' _

'_Oh, it hurts… It always hurt so much in the first day. I really hate myself for being a girl.'_ Hinata thought while holding the lower part of her stomach. She was in the middle of a class lecture and it was unlucky of her that her monthly period chose this time of the day. _'I only brought a few pads with me. Since Neji-niisan was the only one who knew I'm a girl in this school...' _Her face paled upon remembering the doctor,_ '...Well aside from that scary doctor... I have no choice but to ask Niisan for help.'_

When classes ended that morning, Hinata packed her things and with all enthusiasm, she excitedly called out to Neji, "Hinata-chan! Let's go h—"

Hinata wasn't able to finish when Neji immediately stood up and left his chair like he was pretending he didn't hear her. She noticed that two girls from their class approached him at the doorway and he willingly went with them.

She bit her lip as she watches them leave the classroom. _'I knew it… it's not my imagination. He's avoiding me. Why? Did I do something wrong? Why did things suddenly turn out this way?'_

Feeling down, Hinata left the classroom and proceeded to head towards the school grounds leading to her dorm. '_I thought all about it last night… that I have to do something about that doctor! If I don't, then both Neji-niisan and I are going to be in trouble! Because no matter what happens, we will never give up! Not until we graduate as what father expected us to fulfill!'_

"Oi Kiba, that _wash_ really a great match you have with _shat_ Hyuuga Neji _yeshterday_,"Kiba's classmate, Chouji, spoke.The fat guy wasgulping down a big amount of food while talking, "_Choo_ bad it _washn't_ finished. I'm dying to _shee_ the outcome of it."

"Yeah," Kiba nodded as he looked stared at the faces of his friends around the table. They were currently snacking in the school's cafeteria that afternoon."And I must admit… Neji is pretty good. If that accident didn't happen, I might've lost."

"Honestly, why do you have to make up such a troublesome match?" A guy with a sleepy expression spoke lazily. He was also Kiba's classmate, Shikamaru."Just hearing about that strenuous activity makes me yawn."

"A lot of people were dying to see that transfer student in action, Shikamaru," A dark-haired guy called Sai said, "You were roommates right, Kiba-kun? How is he getting along?"He flashed a smile that they weren't sure whether if the smile is a fake one or not.

The brown-haired guy smiled back and stated proudly, "Well in the short time we've hanged out… I could say that he's a nice and a soft-spoken guy! It's like he didn't came from one of the richest and prominent clans at all! In fact, I just made him my own apprentice!"

The guys' mouths hung open. "Woah, really?!"

Suddenly, Kiba stood from his chair, "If you want, I could introduce you all to him!"

"Shut up." A cold voice snapped, "You've been noisy for awhile now."

"Huh?" Confused, Kiba turned his head to the direction of the voice following the attentions of the others as well.They were directed towards the spiky-haired guy who seems to be isolating himself in the other table next to theirs.

"You look like a caged-up screaming monkey to me." The said guy continued frankly and eyed Kiba.

The Inuzuka approached him and spoke sarcastically, "Just as expected from the campus idol, Uchiha Sasuke-kun. You're so mature."

Sasuke looked up and threw an icy look at Kiba, "That's because you guys are immature." He immediately stood up from the chair and walked towards the cafeteria exit.

Towards the exit, Hinata who happens to pass by didn't notice Sasuke coming out of the door. She accidentally collided with him that caused her to drop all her things to the ground. "Kyaa!" She screamed in surprise.

Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes towards her."You scream like a girl." He spoke coldly that made Hinata gulp in nervousness. "Watch where you're going next time, _Chibi-kun_." With that remark, he passed by and left like nothing happened.

Hinata frowned. _'What the—? He didn't even help me up! Well, I guess it's my fault for running into him anyway.'_

"Neji!" Kiba, who saw this, ran towards Hinata and helped her stand up.

"Who was that guy?" Hinata asked curiously referring to the spiky-haired guy she walked in earlier.

"That's Uchiha Sasuke, the campus heartthrob. Just ignore him; he's probably pissed off because his position in this school had been threatened." The Inuzuka stated as he helped Hinata picked up her things.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Position?"

Kiba chuckled, "Aren't you aware of that? Ever since you and your cousin arrived here in Konoha High, you've been the hottest item around here. His fans were cut into half because of you."

Hinata smiled sheepishly, "So that's it, huh?" She held her chest. _'I came to the most confusing place without knowing it…'_ "Thanks for helping me out Kiba, I have to go back to the dorm now."

"Oh great, I'm going back as well. Let's go together."

She nodded in approval, "Okay."

While they were walking on the school grounds, Kiba noticed the sad expression in her face. "What's wrong?" He asked in a concerned tone, "You don't seem lively."

"Well, yeah." Hinata replied, still looking upset as she remembers what happened this morning, "Hinata-chan won't listen to me." She confessed referring to Neji.

"Because of what happened yesterday?"

"Probably."

"Well… you guys are cousins… that's gonna be troublesome." When Kiba noticed her getting more upset, he decided to change the topic, "Um… by the way, I was wondering… are you okay now? I mean that karate match must have caused you some body pains, you know."

"Yeah, I'm okay now. Thank you for helping me." Hinata managed to show a small smile despite being depressed at the moment.

The Inuzuka shook his head, "No, I'm the one who should be thanking you."

She gazed back at him, confused, "Eh?"

Kiba suddenly felt awkward, "Um… how should I say this. After our match, I'm changing… or maybe I should say I've changed. I just want to say that... I'm glad you became my friend."

Hinata just nodded simply, "Oh, okay."

Kiba stared back at Hinata and his eyes were suddenly fixed on her worried face. Suddenly, his heart was beating unusually fast at the sight of her face. _'W-why is my heart thumping? This is weird. He's a guy! Wait a minute, heart!' _He quickly looked away hoping that when he stops looking at her, the weird feelings would go away.

They were still walking through the grounds when somebody caught Hinata's eye—Neji and a girl from their previous school. _'Ah! That couldn't be… Tenten-san? What is she doing here?' _Both of them were talking to a secluded area. She knew already that people would seldom pass by that place so maybe... they're talking about something... intimate? _'Maybe that girl is the reason why Niisan is avoiding me today! I have to find out!'_

Quickly, she held Kiba's arm and they hid behind a tree. This surprised the Inuzuka a lot. "Woah, Neji?!" He found himself blushing so hard at the contact of Hinata's hand holding his arm. "Wait a sec! W-W-What's going on?" He can't believe that it was his own voice that was stammering at the moment. His mouth hung open as he felt his heart beating so fast again.

Hinata pointed towards the direction of Neji and the girl, "Look over there, Kiba!"

However Kiba's heart wasn't ready for the sudden sound of her voice. He got freaked out and his heart's beating became faster. He quickly jerked her arm off his and ran in a determined sprint leaving a puzzled Hinata behind.

"K-Kiba?" She muttered astonishingly as she watches her roommate leave.

"I'll go ahead! I just remembered I have something to do!" Kiba replied as an excuse. _'What a weird feeling. What the hell is wrong with me!'_ He thought. _'Nothing happened okay? Definitely a no-no!'_

When I was left alone in the school grounds, I decided to hide among the bushes and listen to what Neji-niisan and Tenten-san are talking about. Well, this is nothing. That doesn't really mean the two of them are going to get to me. Tenten-san is a good friend of Niisan, I'm sure she just came here to visit. After all, I met her several times back when I was still a freshman in our previous school and I already know that she's a very nice and respectful person.

"Come on, Neji. _Onegai_." Tenten pleaded, "Come back to the academy!"

My eyes widened in surprise. So Tenten-san came here to convince Niisan to come back to our previous school? Why?

"I told you, I'm not going back." Neji replied firmly.

"That's a lie!" The girl blurted out with her face looking like she was about to cry, "This from someone who has high ambitions…that arranged marriage is to blame." It's as if my heart stopped beating at what she just said. "You're doing this for her right?! If… if she didn't come back to the clan, you would have taken your position as the clan leader without marrying her! It's all her fault!"

"Tenten!" Neji snapped, "Hinata-sama had nothing to do with it. My decision to cross-dress and enter a local school was something I did on my own."

My lips curbed in bitterness and when tears was about to fall down in my face, I quickly held it back. Tenten-san… is clearly blaming me. If what she said was true, then that means… all this time, I'm nothing but a burden to Niisan's ambitions. I… I can't take this anymore… I should get out of here. But why is it that my body refused to move?

I remained where I was hiding until I saw Tenten-san leave Neji-niisan behind. Niisan was still standing there all alone when he suddenly said, "How long do you intend to hide there?"

That startled me a lot! How… how did he know I was—well, knowing him, he's really sensitive by the things around him. I came out of the bushes and apologized, "_G-Gomen…_ I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was just passing by and accidentally saw you two here."

"Did you hear everything?" He asked and narrowed his eyes towards me, trying to see if I was telling the truth or not.

I quickly looked away to avoid meeting his gaze, "N-not really." I looked back at him and asked, "Um… Niisan, why were you avoiding me today?"

Neji hesitated for a moment before he answered sarcastically, "Why? Does it matter to you?"

My face paled upon hearing what he just said. Why… why is he acting this way? This is so unlike him. I gathered all my guts to talk back, "Of… of course! It does matter! We were in this together since at the very start right? I put my trust in you... a-and... I... I don't understand... why are you-"

Neji acted as if he was not moved by my words. He smirked and replied, "Trust? Then if you trust me, why didn't you tell me the situation you were in right now?" He stared straight into my eyes, "Inuzuka Kiba... he's not just a new friend to you, right?"

I gasped, "Huh...? You already knew?"

"Keeping this kind of secrets behind my back, don't you know how worried I was when I heard about it from someone else? A girl like you sharing a room with guys is far more dangerous than you can imagine. I could have gotten you out of there if you have told me sooner!" He gritted his teeth, "Tell me Hinata-sama, am I not worthy of your trust?"

So… you've been acting this way just because I didn't tell you about that? I answered, "If I do, it will just add to your problems! I want to handle this one on my own. J-just like what Tenten-san said, I'm… I'm nothing more but a burden to you!"

Suddenly, he walked towards me in a quicker pace. He grabbed both of my shoulders and leaned me against a nearby tree. "Stop saying such nonsense!" He yelled angrily, his eyes were filled with contempt, "You are **not** a burden!" Neji-niisan was obviously furious and it's scaring me seeing him in this state.

He raised a clenched fist. I closed my eyes. This is it. He's going to hurt me!

But what happened is not what Hinata expected. She felt both of his arms around her body and locked her in a warm embrace. Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt her heart beating faster at the close contact of their bodies. "Ni…niisan?"

"If with these hands, I can make you feel better, then please let me do so." He spoke gently, his anger fading away, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm already confident that you can handle this problem on your own. All I'm asking is your trust and I swear, I'll try my best to protect you in this school," He held her tightly, "You're not a burden to me Hinata-sama, and you never are. The truth is, even though I've sworn to become a girl, I… I want to be a real man in front of you … because…" He paused for awhile before he continues, "...because you're so special to me."

"N-Neji-niisan…" Hinata can feel the beating of her heart and realized that both of them are sharing the same feelings. Her body seems to move on its own and responded to his embrace. Deep down, she's glad that she had finally been able to know Neji better than ever. '_I realize it now. I don't want to let go of him. I want to stay with him. Kami-sama…please just for one more time… I also want to be a real woman in front of him.'_

They remained in that position and failed to notice the flashes of a camera from afar.

That morning, Hinata and her roommates were having breakfast at the dorm room. She volunteered to make some instant noodles for the three of them. Shino was still taking a shower while Kiba was waiting inthe dining table waiting for her to prepare breakfast. Ever since she and Neji had developed an even closer relationship, she's been into high spirits lately and she can't explain why.

Kiba, noticing her being in a good mood, spoke, "Looks like you and Hinata-san have made up, huh?"

Hinata looked up and smiled brightly, "Yeah."

With that cheerful smile, Kiba suddenly found himself being smitten with it. He was gazing at her face and at the same time, he was already taking a bite of the noodles. What he failed to notice is that the noodles was still boiling hot. When he ate it, he screamed, "AAHH! HOT! HOT!"

Hinata immediately ran towards him in panic and handed him a glass of water, "Kiba, are you all right? Be careful!"

When he was about to take a sip in the glass that was handed to him, he realized that it was Hinata's own glass. _'Why is my heart beating so fast again?' _He gulped as he stares at the glass. _'This glass… belongs to Neji… which means… indirect kiss?' _He was about to drink it when Shino, who just finish changing into his uniform, suddenly came and grabbed the glass from him. His eyes widened when the Aburame drank it instead.

"That was refreshing," Shino spoke calmly after drinking.

'_No way… my kiss…_' Kiba got furious and held Shino's collar, "Ah! You idiot! Do you know what you've done?!"

Hinata, who had been used in seeing them argued, quickly held on Kiba's arms to stop him. "It's still early, stop arguing! We better hurry to school now!"

When Kiba noticed Hinata holding his arms, he blushed so hard again and felt like he was electrified. He immediately brushed her arms off and declared proudly, "I'm the hot-blooded martial artist, Inuzuka Kiba! I REALLY, REALLY LOVE WOMEN!"

Both Shino and her sweat-dropped. Without warning, Shino dragged Kiba out of the room. "Let's go to school before you contaminate this room with that disease of yours."

When the two of them left, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. _'At last, I can take a shower without the two of them around.' _She thought as she kept all the things in the table, _'Today, I have decided. I shall talk to that doctor and explain everything to him.'_The Hyuuga then grabbed her towel and other bathing necessities when the door suddenly opened.

"Who's there?" She looked behind and saw a half-naked guy who was wearing only a piece of towel, "Oh no!" She quickly turned her back with her cheeks blushing so hard._'My God! Can't he knock?'_ He had already known this guy is Sai because Kiba introduced him and the rest of their dorm mates the day before.

"Hey Neji-kun, are those two around here?" Sai asked as he took a look around the room.

She shook her head nervously, still not looking at him, "You see… they just left."

"They're not here?" He inched towards her, "Seriously?" She nodded as she tried hard to cover her face to avoid looking at him, "Geez, I want to borrow their shampoo!" Sai whined. Having no choice, the guy decided to leave the room.

Before Hinata could relax when the presence is gone, the door opened again and another half-naked guy entered. "Kiba! Shino!" Shikamaru called out. She quickly buried her face again with both hands.

"N-no… they're not here r-right now." This time, her blushing got worse. It's like she's going to have a fever.

"They're not here? How troublesome! I ran out of shampoo!" Shikamaru looked around their things, trying to see if he can find one.

The door opened again and another half-naked guy entered. "Kiba! Shino!" Chouji yelled.

Hinata was so red like she was going to explode in a moment, "LIKE I SAID THEY'RE NOT HERE!"

"Shamp—"

Before the fat guy could finish, she cut him off, "I don't have any!" Hinata can't believe that she had actually shown this side of her personality which is unusual for a gentle and shy girl like her.

Chouji pouted, "That's cold."

Shikamaru added, "You must have some shampoo!" When the two dormmates failed to find one, they left the room.

Hinata, being red all over, screamed, "WHY DOESN'T ANYONE HAVE SHAMPOO IN THIS DORM? GEEZ!"

_**TBC**_

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, **DesertRoseTemari, winterkaguya, heakfreakinyes, mshinata, Simone, salote, popyo, ShadowBlitz, CJ, Aisha C,** **moonlightdemondancer **and** risingfallback.** If you guys say that my English came out okay in this chapter, I'll upload Chapter 5. Yes, it depends upon you! Expect me to update a lot since YouTube just banned me. -Wah!-


	5. Revelations

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Five: Revelations**

"Geez, how many times have I instructed you?!" A blonde woman bellowed, "I, Sabaku Temari, will not tolerate members who have bad taste!"

"B-but Temari-sempai," A Freshman who was quivering in fear spoke nervously. The rest of the students in the room were hiding behind his back, "We tried t-to search for the people who would best qualify the roles of Romeo and Juliet and these are the faces we managed to find. I d-don't think there's a problem because they are pretty good-looking and—"

"Those aren't the ones I'm looking for!" The woman bellowed again, scaring the students off. She glared at the Freshman who spoke earlier. "Who's the boss here… you or I? I don't see their potentials as good actors and actresses! Get all your asses off here and try to find more! Else, I'll kick you out of the club!!"

"HAI!!" The students answered and quickly ran outside the room as fast as they could.

The blonde girl sat at the chair near the window of that room. She grasped her forehead when she felt a sudden headache. "Ugh, my head hurts." For a short-tempered girl like her, being the Drama Club President for two years is really tough. She gets to face such amateur Freshmen every year.

"You should learn to control your temper, sis," A brown-haired guy who just walked inside the room said, "Otherwise, you won't recruit anymore members."

Her eyebrows met at the other presence in the room, "What the hell are you doing here, Kankuro? I'm busy right now. Don't talk to me." Sabaku Kankuro is her older brother who is the President of the Photography Club. They were the son and daughter of the school director so it's no surprise that they managed to get the highest positions in the said clubs.

"You'll thank me soon enough." Kankuro smirked and spread the pictures across the table.

Temari's eyes widened when she saw the photos. "These two… who? When? How?"

Her brother stared at her musingly, "Well…. did they pass your standard?"

_**Meanwhile…**_

"Hmm… well now does this mean you decided to let me hear your answer, Neji-kun?" Kabuto said as he motioned his chair to face his expected visitor who was standing at the doorway of the clinic, "Or should I say… 'Hinata-chan?'"

Hinata nodded and confidently answered, "Hai," She sat in the chair near the doctor's table, "_**O-orewa… **_no…_watashi…_"She revert her voice back to being a girl, "Um, first of all…I want to tell you something about a friend of mine."

"Hmm… a friend?" The doctor analyzed her words before he replied, "All right, go ahead."

She cleared her throat before she started speaking, "That friend of mine was born from a strict clan who runs a dojo. His father wished that the one who should take over as the clan successor is male but he was disappointed that the first-born turned out to be girl. When she was three years old, my friend was abandoned by her parents and was entrusted to a guardian. It was then that they decided to adopt a distant cousin of hers and made him the new heir. But this man who entered the household managed to find out about her whereabouts and decided to search for her. He thought that it wasn't fair for her part as the legitimate daughter. When he managed to convince her to come back to the clan, she thought she had already found a friend in him…" Hinata's eyes glanced downwards, showing signs of sadness and agony upon reminiscing the past, "…but she was wrong. Deep down, that man hates her because she's weak for not being able to fight for her own rights.

"Tired of running away and being called a coward, she decided to remain in the clan and fight for the throne. When the whole clan have found out about her existence, they were confused in choosing the rightful successor among the two. And the clan head, her father, had decided to get them married since it was the most legitimate option at that time considering that both of them had earned equal merits to the throne. Of course, they refused—partly because they were still strangers to each other and they wanted freedom to do whatever they want but neither wanted to be disowned by the clan." She glanced at the clinic window and watched the birds that flew up in the sky, "And for some unknown reason, her father decided to make a deal with the both of them—and that is to spend all their remaining high school years pretending to be each other. If one of them managed to graduate without being found out, then he or she will be the successor. If they graduate together without being found out, both of them will be given freedom to do whatever they want inside or outside the clan without being dishonored. And if both of them were found out..." She looked away when she felt her cheeks warming up, "They'll be forced to marry each other."

"Supposedly, the two of them were to treat each other as rivals but instead… they decided to work together and aimed to get their freedom. This cousin of hers had decided to give up his own dreams, reputation and pride without having doubts. That's how strong-willed he is. And then, she began to idolize him…

She smiled, "It was because of him that she finally began to like herself. Somehow, she finds herself wanting to be like him a little bit. And from there, she wanted to somehow know the real him… to see the real him! Since she'd met him, she started to want to know more and more about him.

"Sensei," Hinata looked up and met Kabuto's eyes with determination, "That's why… I… we… my cousin and I will not quit this school that easily! We absolutely won't! Since the beginning we felt like we would go so far as to prostrate ourselves on the ground but…if that means we can get our freedom, we'll show Otou-san we'll make it… no matter what!"

The school doctor's eyes widened in amusement at what she had just revealed; he reflected on this for awhile before he spoke up, "Geez, what a bore." Hinata's eyes twitched back at him in surprise, "If you two were someone who I could push around or if you come here running in tears and begged me like the other girls, then I would have done anything in my power to expel the two of you out of here." He turned his attention back to his work and continued, "Well then, do as you like, Hinata-chan, this is the pact between you and your father, it's none of my business."

Hinata gasped in amazement at what the doctor just said, "So this means… you won't disclose our identities?" Because of so much happiness, she hugged Kabuto from the back. "S-sensei… Arigato…"

Kabuto's face darkened and jerked her arms away, "Don't get attached to me. I find women depressing under normal circumstances."

"Speaking of which, how did you found us out?" She asked curiously, "I'm wearing a thick denim vest underneath to hide my chest and with his natural feminine beauty, Niisan really looks a lot like a woman."

"I can tell just by looking at the two of you because…" He pushed his glasses upwards and confessed, "It's because I'm gay."

She shrieked and backed away from him as far as she could, "GYAA!!" _'He doesn't look like one when I first saw him! Well, I think I should just start getting myself used to all the weirdness. I shouldn't be surprised in the first place.' _She thought as she held her chest, _'Still, his answer… is definitely too much for my heart to take.'_

Kabuto turned his head to look at her, annoyed, "You… are being especially narrow-minded. I am homosexual that's why I'm extremely sensitive to the animals of the opposite sex that come into my life," He was suddenly in deep thought before he muttered, "Hmm… so with that admiration… you were able to change yourself, correct? Does that mean you developed special feelings towards him?"

Hinata choked and looked away. Her cheeks blushing a bit, "Um… well… ah—I… I guess so… b-but… I guess he only treats me as a little s-sister."

The doctor smirked, "Unrequited love, eh. Well, that sounds like me."

"Eh? Sensei, you love someone who doesn't love you too? Who? Who?" She asked eagerly.

Kabuto answered, "My best friend from high school."

"What kind of person is he?" Hinata suddenly found herself being interested in the subject and even nudged the doctor's coat to answer her eager questions, "Tell me! Tell me!"

'_That's why I don't like girls.'_ He looked away in disgust but continued answering, "He's got a bad personality and he's cruel. He knows how I feel and despite that pretends he hasn't noticed." The doctor smiled bitterly, "What could you love about a person like that?"

'_What does he mean by that? I don't understand him at all.' _Ever since I went out of the clinic, I let myself be bothered with the thoughts of Sensei's unrequited love. Well, I guess that doesn't matter anymore. Thinking back on how easily this matter about our identities got solved, it feels so good right now. I need to find Neji-niisan to celebrate. He's usually early anyway so maybe he's in the class right now. I'll go to him and tell him that—

Suddenly, a thought entered my mind. I stopped walking in the middle of the school halls to ponder on some things, "Wait a minute… if Kabuto-sensei is gay and he knew that Neji-niisan is a guy then—" Unexpectedly, random unwanted images of Kabuto-sensei and Niisan entered my mind. I can feel my cheeks blushing so intensely and I tried my best to chase the thoughts away.

"WAH!! I don't want that to happen! I don't want him to get molested!" I yelled in panic. No matter how, I shouldn't tell him! But just the other day, I promised Niisan—'

"Who's getting molested?"

My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I heard Niisan's voice behind my back. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I slowly faced him. "Eh? Ne—I mean, Hinata-chan!"

"I've been waiting for you outside your dorm since this morning. Where did you go?" He stared straight into my eyes. I looked away to avoid his gaze. "You're hiding something again from me, are you?"

I wasn't able to reply. It was like I swallowed my own tongue. I shouldn't have entertained those unwanted thoughts. If I tell him that someone knows our real identities, maybe he'll get angry.

"I can tell just by looking, Hinata-sama. What is it, this time?" Niisan asked in a lower voice, expecting an answer. It really scares me when he says my name.

I still think I should tell him. I'll just have to find a way for Niisan not to meet Kabuto-sensei again. I gazed downwards and answered, "Um… a-ano…"

All of a sudden, Neji-niisan's calm face went pale. My eyes widened when I saw the anger that is slowly surging within him. He was like a bomb that would explode in any moment.

"W-what's wrong?" I asked curiously.

"Someone… touched…" He turned behind and quickly pinned someone on the ground as he continues, "MY BUM!!"

"EH??" I blurted out in shock as I watch the unknown person being pinned into the ground by Niisan. He was obviously an old man in his fifty's and he was wearing some sort of a custodian's uniform. He must be a janitor.

"_Itai!!_" The old man screamed. He was obviously aching in pain with his arm folded behind his back. "I won't do it again!"

"Hinata-chan, calm down!" I tried to tell him, "You'll hurt him!"

However, Niisan pretended he didn't hear me and yelled at the old man angrily. "You damn pervert! I'll kill you!"

I looked around and noticed that all the people's attentions turned towards us. Some even stopped walking to watch the scene. There were different facial expressions that I saw—some were amused, surprised and scared…mostly scared. It was definitely unusual for a girl to have a fight with someone. Niisan is definitely losing control of his emotions... just because someone touched his--

"Neji? What happened here?" A familiar voice asked.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Kiba who happen to pass by. "K-Kiba, I need your help! Hinata-san… s-she's…"

Kiba's eyebrows met when he heard the name, "Damn it… that woman again?! What did she do now?" When Kiba looked at the scene behind me, a shocked expression came across his face. He quickly approached the direction of the two and pulled Neji-niisan away.

"Let me go! Don't touch me!" Neji yelled at Kiba as he tried to jerk his arms away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you stupid woman?" Kiba yelled back angrily, "That's Jiraiya-sama, the school principal!"

Neji's eyes widened in disbelief, "This pervert is **your **principal?"

"He is **our** principal!" Kiba became angrier, "Don't talk as if you don't study in this school!"

"Oh really… _Kiba-kun?"_ Niisan spoke sarcastically. He folded his arms when he managed to retain his natural calmness. "No wonder they called this a local school. It's composed of idiotic students, a devilish doctor and a perverted principal."

"What did you just say?!"

While the two were arguing, Jiraiya approached me and bowed his head, "I'm sorry, kid. I was just… um… playing around. Can you apologize to her for me?" He smiled widely. I can still see that ridiculous perverted smile of his. I don't want this thing to happen again… not to Niisan. I must also protect him!

I gathered my guts to talk back and tried my best to make my voice manlier and tougher, "With all due respect, Jiraiya-sama, even if you're the school principal… you shouldn't even think of touching your students. It's not a good example."

I saw his shock embarrassed expression but that silly smile of his is still there, "Ah, I—"

I swallowed my pride and muttered, "Whose girl do you think she is?"

Suddenly, his smile faded away. He bowed his head low and now, he was shaking. For a moment there, I thought he was getting mad. But to my surprise, he was bursting out in laughter. "A little guy like you… having that woman as your girlfriend?! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME! Oh, I'm going to die! Bwahahahaha!!"

"Wha—I…" I was speechless. Really, why do almost all people in this school pick on my height?

He smiled slyly and whispered, "So what's your secret? Do you have bigger—"

My eyes widened when I saw both Kiba and Neji-niisan's punches that were planted on the principal's head.

"You old guy, I dare you to say those things to him." Neji-niisan warned. Right then, I noticed that he placed his hand on my shoulder like he was protecting me.

"For once in my life, I agree with the bitch," Kiba said in a gloomy mood and clenched his fist, "A perverted principal like you needs to be taught a lesson." He turned his attention towards us, "Listen up, you two. Any girl that talks to this old fellow might get pregnant afterwards."

I was the one who was in shock the most. "P-pregnant?! Are you serious, Kiba?!"

"Yeah, why would I lie to you?" Kiba gazed back at me, confused, "Why are you so nervous? You're not a girl, are you?"

I gulped nervously and laughed, "How can that be? How can I be a girl? I'm a guy! I obviously can't get pregnant in my whole life!" Oh God, this is getting a whole lot complicated. I shouldn't let myself get carried away. I shouldn't forget that I'm a guy in this school!

"Jiraiya-sama!" A man in a formal suit who was running across the corridors shouted. He quickly held on the principal's arms and dragged him away, "You're giving us a lot of trouble. The principal can't clean the school like some worker! There's still a meeting for you to attend today!"

"Be nice, my dear students!" Jiraiya even waved goodbye to us so happily like nothing had happened. Well, at least we finally got rid of him. "And take care of your girlfriend, little guy!" He added that made my cheeks warm so intensely.

Neji-niisan raised an eyebrow, "Girlfriend?" I quickly bowed my head low in embarrassment when I noticed his keen eyes being shifted to my direction.

"What did that old man just said?" Kiba spoke in surprise and he was suddenly in panic, "Neji y-you have a g-girlfriend?" The next thing I knew was that Kiba was standing before me and he was shaking both of my shoulders, "T-tell me… do you have a girlfriend?!"

I shook my head, "K-Kiba… no, it's not that—"

"Don't you get it, _Kiba-kun?"_ Neji-niisan cuts off and shoved Kiba away. He walked closer and put an arm around my neck.

"W-what are you—" I whispered to him but I wasn't able to finish when I felt his warm lips brushed on my cheek.

He… he kissed me!

"I am his girlfriend." He announced with a wink. He even drew his face closer to mine. My blushing worsened at the contact of our cheeks.

"EHHH??"

Me and Neji-niisan are… huh?! Huh?! What on earth is going on now?!

"G-girlfriend? Hinata-san is… is Neji's girlfriend?" Kiba spoke unmindfully. He was dazing the whole afternoon in one of the benches of the school grounds. Shikamaru, Chouji and Sai just watched him with annoyed looks on their faces. Shino, on the other hand, was quietly sitting beside him, studying.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, "Don't be jealous just because you don't have a girlfriend, geez."

Realization quickly struck the Inuzuka. _'That's right… what am I getting all upset for… I'm not gay!'_

"I can't even tell what made you jealous… Neji having a girlfriend or you having a crush on Hinata-san," Sai added.

"C-crush on Hinata?" The Inuzuka glared at the dark-haired guy, "There's no way I would like a girl who is worse than my own mother!"

"Whatever. I guess you're just overreacting." Chouji said.

His eyes shifted towards the fat guy, "Overreacting? Why would I? I'm not a—"

"**A homo." **A cold voice beside Kiba suddenly spoke.

The voice freaked the Inuzuka so badly that he jumped out of the bench. "NOOO!!"

"Don't you agree, Kiba?" Shino looked up to him, "It's the scientific name of humans who were born in the old times." He spoke calmly, "Instead of dazing the whole day, you should spend your time in studying for our upcoming exam."

Kiba tried to relieve himself from the shock and confronted his roommate, "Oi Shino, stop talking so suddenly, okay? It's really freaky! If you keep on doing that, I will go to request to change rooms! Do you know that you've creep me out so bad that I've lost half of my life by living with you?"

"Fine, go and transfer to Kabuto-sensei's room." Shino answered. He was referring to the doctor's room that was on the other end of the dorm. It was the only room where the doctor is the only occupant.

"There's no way I'm going to live with that g-g—AAAHH!!" _'God, I can't even mention the G-word!'_ He scratched his brown hair irritably and ran away from them as fast as he could, leaving his puzzled friends behind.

"Wow, he's so fast," Sai spoke as he watches Kiba leave, "I can't see him anymore."

Shikamaru shrugged, "_Mendokusee…_ I don't get that guy at all."

Meanwhile, Kiba ran towards the nearest restroom and drenched his face with water_. _He looked up to the mirror and murmured to himself, "No way! I can't take this anymore… how come I suddenly have feelings for Neji?!"

_**TBC**_

**A/N:** My sincere thank you to kawaiiS-san for the cute and amusing fan art that you based on this fanfiction. Seriously, that made my year. Up to now, I'm still laughing about it. Very brilliant XD I also made a new account in YouTube which is XEnchantedMarshie18X for those who are curious to know. kawaiiS-san also made a new account which is kawaiiS26. We're back to YT to spread the NejiHina love! Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please do try to leave some lovely reviews so I can update faster. Reviews inspire me a lot.

**Footnotes:**

_Ore_ – Japanese term for male language meaning "I" or "me"

_Watashi _– Japanese term for female language meaning "I" or "me"

**Thanks for the reviews: **winterkaguya, ShadowBlitz, kawaiiS, HinataDelDesiertoUchija, risingfallback, mshinata, PandaDragon, sasuhinaneji, skooma-kittyness-RAWR, michiyo-rae


	6. Disturbed

**Warning**: This is a gender-bender fanfiction. Expect to see a lot of sillyness and homosexuals. Must be because I always watch DRT's Yaoi and Yuri videos everyday X3

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Six: Disturbed**

"N-niisan, w-what's the meaning of this?" I had the courage to ask Neji-niisan that afternoon behind the school building. People seldom pass by that area of the school so there's no risk of anyone hearing our conversation.

Neji-niisan frowned. "Quit making an 'Inuzuka face.' This is what you get for hanging around with that Kiba so much. That guy's stupidity is contagious."

My mouth twisted when I remembered the incident that happened this morning: Neji-niisan suddenly announced to the whole school that he's my 'girlfriend.' The worst thing is…he kissed me in front of everybody! Until now, I can still feel his warm lips on my right cheek.

He sighed before he answered calmly, "Don't look at me like that. It's for your own good. This way, I can keep a closer eye on you. It will also put an end to those unwanted rumors about us."

"B-but… I guess… it will only make things worse."

"They already are the moment we entered here," Niisan looked away and walked ahead of me, "Anyway, just leave everything to me. As awkward as this may seem, remember that I'm doing this for your own protection."

I forced a nod, "Okay, if you say so." I just hoped that Niisan knows what he's doing. "Uh… N-niisan…" I called out to him just when he was about to turn to a corner of the building.

He looked back at me, "What?"

"Um…." My eyes glanced downwards. I suddenly found myself playing with my fingers as I spoke, "Y-you kissed me."

My eyes widened when I saw his face—Wow. He turned red. And goodness, I didn't know that a cool and calm guy like him could have his own cute moments.

He immediately turned his back on me and muttered, "Did you think I did that because I want to?"

I pursed my lips in disappointment. "Ah _gomenasai_, Niisan. I thought—"

"Come on," He cuts off, "We still have to study for our exams…" I heard him smirk, "…_boyfriend."_

What he just called me made my heart beat faster. I suddenly found myself smiling when I followed him. "Hai."

At the library, later in the afternoon, Neji and Hinata were studying for their upcoming exams for tomorrow. Neji was currently teaching Hinata how to solve a difficult Math problem while Kiba and his friends were on the other table twelve feet away from them.

'_You guys shouldn't be together. Did you forget that your cousins?' _Kiba thought while observing the two. _'But who says cousins cannot—GAH! I shouldn't be jealous! I can't possibly like guys. I only got confused. Even TV shows often have characters fall into confusion.' _

The Inuzuka's gaze suddenly landed on the other table—as usual, Sasuke was there, isolating himself from the rest. He was obviously studying for the exam as well.

An idea suddenly entered Kiba's mind. He quickly stood up from the chair, surprising the other guys.

"Oh? Going somewhere, Kiba?" Chouji asked.

Kiba didn't answer his fat friend. Instead, he walked straight to Sasuke's direction. The spiky-haired guy looked up to him, annoyed, "What do you want, Inuzuka?"

All of a sudden, Kiba grabbed Sasuke's collar and drew his face closer to him. The Uchiha was so shocked that he wasn't able to say anything. Kiba just remained staring at his handsome face as if he was studying the features of it.

Sasuke quickly jerked Kiba's hands and shouted angrily, "What are you doing, _baka?!_"

The attentions of almost everyone inside the library turned towards the two of them. The librarian even scolded, "Sshh!! Quiet!"

In a short moment, Kiba fell silent, as if he was analyzing a few things. Then all of a sudden, a smile formed in his lips, "Like I said, even when I caress the face of Konoha's heartthrob, both physically and psychologically, I don't feel anything at all! Good, good… I'm not gay!" He declared proudly, "I'm a straight man! A real man!"

All of the people in the library, aside from Shino, sweat-dropped.

"What… the… hell?" Was all Sasuke could say.

Kiba was on his way back to the dorm that evening after taking Akamaru for a short walk. He was now on a very good mood when he confirmed to himself earlier that he's not homosexual. Even his own neighbors in that dorm were not surprised by his sudden change of mood—probably because they were used to seeing this personality in the Inuzuka a lot.

When he opened the door of his room, he declared excitedly, "I'm back!" The only sound that answered him was the splashes of water from the bathroom. He proceeded inside and threw his bag on the corner.

Just when he was about to go to bed, he was surprised to see Hinata lying on the carpeted floor. It looks like she was sleeping so soundly.

Kiba quickly bended down and nudged her body to wake her up, "Neji… Neji… wake up. You will catch a cold if you sleep like this till tomorrow morning." But Hinata refused to wake. The brown-haired guy sighed helplessly, "Guess I'll have to put you in bed."

When Kiba was about to carry her, he suddenly felt his whole body being electrified. It was probably because of the contact of his hands to Hinata's body. Once again, his heart was beating so fast when he stared at the Hyuuga's sleeping face. His cheeks even began to heat up and somehow, he felt like he was tempted to kiss her… right at that moment.

"Kiba?"

Shino's voice shocked the Inuzuka and the expression of his looks like he had just woken up from a bad dream.

"How come Neji-san's sleeping on the floor?" Shino asked. He just came out of the shower and was currently drying his hair with the towel. Even when he was taking a bath, the Aburame NEVER fails not to remove his dark glasses.

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and saw the brown-haired guy beside her, "Oh, it's you, Kiba." She turned her attention towards her other roommate, "Shino-san, you took a long bath. I fell asleep waiting." When the Hyuuga noticed Kiba's face, she muttered worriedly," Kiba, what's the matter? Your face is all red. Are you having a fever?" She caressed the guy's forehead.

"HUH?!" Kiba blurted out in shock when he felt the softness of her hand. His reddening got worse that he quickly rushed outside the room, slamming the door before him.

"What's wrong with him?" Hinata asked Shino worriedly.

"Ignore him. He's always like that," Shino said who is still drying up his hair with the towel, "Just go and get some shower. The bathroom is free now."

"Okay, thank you."

Outside, Kiba leaned on the door and buried his face with his hands, "I'm not gay… I don't want to be gay. I will get kicked out of the Karate Club. Oh no... I... I am seriously ill!!"

Meanwhile, on the Girls' Dorm, Sakura was busy studying while Ino, on the other hand, was walking to and fro, mumbling on some things.

The pink-haired girl looked up to her roommate and showed off an annoyed look. "Can you stop doing that?" She retorted, "I can't concentrate."

"I still can't believe it! I don't want to accept it! I mean… Hinata-chan's cousin is her boyfriend?" Ino whined. Rumors spread fast so it's no wonder that it became the hottest gossip in their dorm.

"Distant cousin," The Haruno corrected. She looked up and raised a brow, "So what? Royal clans have those kind of relationships. It's normal."

Ino shook her head, "No… no way! Ah, my dear Hinata-chan! She's too beautiful to hook up with that _chibi!_" The blonde girl sat on the bed, sulking.

Sakura just sighed helplessly and stood up. "When you mentioned Hinata-san, I remembered that I have to borrow her English notes. I'll go to her room and be right back."

Ino just nodded her head weakly as a response. It was like the blonde girl was really so down that she wasn't in her usual self that day. Being her bestfriend since childhood, Sakura was used to seeing her like this.

The pink-haired girl then proceeded to the room next to theirs. Just when she was about to knock on the door, all the lights suddenly went out. The loud screams of the girls from that dorm were the next thing she heard.

"Geez, this really sucks." Sakura mumbled through the dark. It was a good thing that she had her trusty pen light. But when she turned it on, she noticed that it has a weak light capacity. It was obviously almost out of batteries.

Having no choice, she decided to ask the occupant inside the room for help, "Hinata-san? Are you there?" She called out in a lower voice. Maybe the Hyuuga was already sleeping inside his room. Being a decent and respectful student, Sakura doesn't want to disturb anyone but she desperately needed the notes right now. "Can I come in?" Upon hearing no answer, she opened the door and pointed her pen light inside the room. She can still barely see through the thin light as she looked for the girl, "Hinata-san?"

What Sakura saw gave her a shock in her life. With the help of the pen light, she managed to find her way back to her own room in the dark. "Ino! Ino!" She called out to her roommate.

Suddenly, the lights came back. She found Ino on the bed, the same position when she left her earlier. The blonde girl was still in the state of depression that it looks like she wasn't able to notice the blackout earlier. She quickly crawled to the bed and shook the blonde girl's shoulders, "Ino! Listen to me! There's a naked **man** inside Hinata-san's room!"

Upon hearing the taboo word, Ino's senses came back to her. "What?! A man?!"

"Believe it or not, I saw it with my own eyes! He was naked... like he just came out from the shower!" They suddenly found themselves marching towards the Hyuuga's room.

"Damn it." Ino cursed, "She just got a boyfriend and decided to get cozy with him, huh? Did she forget that this is a Girls' dorm?"

Confusion came across Sakura's face, "Actually, this one is different. He was not as small as that Neji-kun."

"Whatever. I'll go beat some sense to that Hinata-chan now. Darn, to think I used to adore her so much." Without warning, Ino kicked open the door and declared angrily, "HINATA-CHAN, I DEMAND THAT YOU STOP THE DISGUSTING THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH YOUR LOVER OR ELSE!"

But what Ino and Sakura found inside that room was not what they expected—Neji was in front of his computer, typing something. Deep inside, the blonde girl can't help but admire the teddy bear-printed sleeping clothes he was wearing but she tried her best not to show it. "What are you talking about, Ino-san?" He asked with a confused expression.

"Sakura saw a naked man in your room earlier," Ino muttered, "Where did he go? Did you hide him under your bed or inside the closet? You must be forgetting a few things here."

"I'm all alone here." The Hyuuga answered calmly, "If you want to check my bed or closet, feel free to do so."

Both of them proceeded to check the whole bedroom. When they found nobody, they suddenly became embarrassed upon facing him. "B-but… earlier when the lights went out… I saw a naked man here!" Sakura said, "Even with the thin light in my pen, I saw him standing there at the bath—" The pink-haired girl's looked back at the bathroom and her green eyes widened when she saw a picture of a hot naked man that was posted on the bathroom's door.

"Sakura, you idiot!" Ino blurted out angrily, "It's just a picture of a popular actor!"

Sakura scratched her pink hair in shame and turned to Neji, "I'm sorry Hinata-san. I didn't mean to…"

"That's fine," Neji said and showed off his beautiful smile, _"Everyone makes mistakes."_

Both Ino and Sakura blushed at the stunning beauty. "Aah!! You're still so kawaii, Hinata-chan!" The blonde girl hugged him again. "Even if you have a boyfriend, I don't care anymore! I still adore you!"

"Come on, that's enough," Sakura said and dragged Ino out of the room.

When the door closed, Neji let out a sigh of relief. He just finished showering earlier and he was drying up his hair when Sakura saw him half-naked. It was a good thing that there was a blackout and the girl's pen light was almost running out of batteries--disabling to see him clearly. Plus, the poster that Tenten gave him back at Junior High helped a lot too.

However, he can't erase the uneasiness he felt when he realized he was almost exposed.

'_Shit! That was really close!'_

"Ohayou, Hinata-chan!" I greeted when I saw Neji-niisan waiting outside my dorm that morning. Since we are rumored to be a 'couple,' we should always be together and try to act one as well.

"Can you please stop calling me with that _'-chan'?_ It's disturbing." He whispered to me with a gloomy look on his face.

This is really weird. Normally, he wouldn't object if I call him that. I wonder what could be wrong? "Okay... um... Hinata." I answered. When I turned to look at him, I noticed the dark marks below his eyes. He had suffered a sleepless night AGAIN. "N-niisan... did something happen last night?" I asked him curiously in a lower voice.

Before he could answer, we were greeted by Kiba and his friends outside the school building. "Good morning, lovebirds!" Sai greeted happily and they walked with us inside the school halls.

"Zip it." Neji snapped in irritation.

"Ooh... looks like someone's in a bad mood today!" The dark-haired guy teased, "Guess the blackout really affected you a lot... eh, Miss Pretty Hair?"

Neji threw a sharp look at Sai but preferred not to argue with him. He was really in a bad shape today. I also noticed that Kiba isn't talking as well and everytime I would look at him, he would quickly turn his head to another direction.

"Quit it, man," Chouji said, "They're obviously not in the mood to deal with your lame jokes."

"You and your nicknames could get you in a troublesome situation someday." Shikamaru added with a yawn.

"Well, I just find it weird," Sai replied coolly," I mean... why it is that both Kiba-kun and Hinata-san have panda-eyes? Well, Kiba-kun's always like this so..."

"What does that mean, you moron?" Kiba finally spoke, "Things bug me too occasionally."

"So you're saying... 'when you all become grown-ups, you'll understand too' or something retarded like that?" Sai replied with his eyes glowing.

Kiba glared at the dark-haired guy, "Are you making fun of me?"

"Ah!" Sai's face suddenly brightened, "I know now! Last night, Kiba-kun and Hinata-san are-"

"SHUT UP!" Both Neji and Kiba covered the guy's mouth before he could continue.

Since Neji-niisan preferred to stay quiet and walked inside the classroom first, I approached Kiba and asked, "Um…Kiba, do you have some things bothering you? You can tell me about it, I will help you." After all, Kiba is my first friend and my roommate. It's normal for me to worry about him.

Suddenly, Kiba's face became paler when he heard my voice. He looked at me reluctantly and muttered, "Neji, can I beg you to stop looking at me with those sparkling eyes?"

I got confused by what he just asked. What is he trying to imply? I blinked my eyes twice and I noticed that it made him tenser.

Kiba gulped down nervously and looked away, "I'm done for. My feelings are rushing up again." He murmured to himself but I wasn't able to hear it. He quickened his pace. It was as if he was avoiding me.

"Did he eat something bad?" I asked Shino.

My other roommate shrugged and answered, "With Kiba, I'm sure it could be anything."

I was about to follow Neji-niisan inside the room when I heard someone calling me, "Oh Neji-kun!" I looked behind and saw Kakashi-sempai heading towards my direction, "A girl from another school is looking for you outside the dorm."

I raised a brow, "A girl?"

"Woah, I'm jealous!" Sai spoke, "You're really popular with girls, Neji-kun!" He patted my back many times. I coughed when I felt like my heart is going out of my chest.

"Who is it, Sempai?" I asked curiously.

"She said she's a friend of yours," Kakashi answered, "Go ahead, Neji-kun. I'm sure it wouldn't take long."

"Ah, okay. Thanks for informing me, Sempai." I walked outside the school building, heading back to the dorm. Strange, I don't remember having a close girl friend before in my previous school. Who could be looking for me?

When I reached the dorm, I saw a girl standing outside the Boys' dorm. I was even surprised when I noticed that she's wearing the uniform of the school where Neji-niisan and I came from before we transferred here in Konoha High. But since it was her back that was facing me, I wasn't able to recognize her right away.

"Um... excuse me? Are you the girl who's looking for me?" I called out to her.

The girl turned to look at me and greeted, "Hello there. I was waiting for you... _Hinata-chan._"

It was Tenten-san.

_**TBC**_

**A/N: **I apologize for Neji's OOC-ness. –sweatdrop- I just realized that I've been reading too much NejiHina Japanese doujins so I based his character mostly on the silly Nejis' that I've read there. If I do base him on the actual Naruto storyline, it would be much more difficult for me to write him. I also apologize for not being too descriptive.

I do blame Temthasy for converting me to a Kiba fangirl. I enjoyed writing his character a lot… Oh geez, I also have to post the SasuHina fic for mshinata-san as a sneak peak. Would that be all right to post it? XD LOL :D Anyway, I hope have fun reading this chapter!

**Pictures of Neji and Hinata making out for: **dark-emo-gal, winterkaguya, risingfallback, mshinata, PandaDragon, Shadowblitz and kawaiiS!

Thanks for taking time in submitting your enchanting reviews! I would never get tired of putting your names here XD


	7. Cold War

**Warning: **Again, expect a lot of homosexuals here. You've been warned XD

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Seven: Cold War**

"Oh. It's you, Tenten-san." I replied with a warm smile. I quickly checked the surroundings to see if there are people around. Just now, Tenten-san called me by my real name. It would really be a problem if someone heard that. Did she do that on purpose? But somehow, she's hard to get mad at.

"Don't worry, nobody heard it," The brown-haired girl said and smiled back, "Everyone's in your school today. I did that because I want you to act natural around me."

According to Neji-niisan, Tenten-san is one of his close friends back in Junior High. Niisan and I were not so close before so I didn't know what other relationship he had with this girl. The rumors say that both of them were always together—they were in the same year level, the same classes and they have joined the same clubs. One could tell that they looked a lot like a pair of lovers.

For some unknown reason, my heart ache when I think about it—is this what they call 'jealousy'? Somehow, I refuse to accept that I'm jealous. I shouldn't be. But I still wanted to find out the truth.

"_If she didn't come back to the clan, you would have taken your position as the clan leader without marrying her! It's all her fault!" _

My heart tightened when I remembered the words Tenten-san said about me. I tried to remind myself that this girl is just worried for Niisan that she came to the point in blaming me.

"It's been awhile, neh?" Tenten-san muttered, still smiling, "I didn't recognize you right away. You really looked like a boy, Hinata-chan. And… you even cut your hair."

I don't know if I should feel flattered or insulted but since the way she speaks is really sweet and sincere, I decided to reply bashfully, "_Arigato gosaimazu_." I tried to gather the courage to ask her then, "Um… Tenten-san, are you… Neji-niisan's g-girlfriend? Uh… I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I…"

She was a bit surprised to hear this but tried to stay composed, "No, I'm just Neji's friend since Grade school. Even though honestly…" she looked away, "I feel that way towards him."

I see. So Tenten-san likes Neji-niisan as well. I can't help but sympathize with her. It must be hard for her to hide those feelings in all those years. But… who knows? Maybe Niisan harbors special feelings towards her too. Knowing him, he's not the type who would easily speak whatever is in his mind or heart all the time.

A moment of silence before Tenten-san decided to break it, "Anyway, I'll go straight to the point," She spoke seriously, "I came here to your school before to convince Neji to come back to the Academy. But…" I heard her sigh before she continues, "…no matter how much I begged him, he would never come back."

I looked away to avoid seeing the sad expression in her face, "T-that's… if you need Neji-niisan for something—"

"No." She cuts me off, "Today, I came for you."

"Eh?" My eyes widened and I looked back at her—she was obviously angry now.

"I don't want you to get nearer to Neji than you already are."

What she said really shocked me, "W-what do you mean, Tenten-san?"

"Ever since Junior High, I've heard various rumors about you," She continues, "I heard that you're the main reason why Neji wasn't able to reach his own ambitions. Ever since the two of you entered this school, you willingly played your part without considering his feelings. Remember that a genius like Neji will not be restricted in this small arena forever. He's not the type of person… who can easily be entered in this crazy situation!" Her voice suddenly became louder, "Everyday I wish for him to return but if Neji continue to do these things, then he'll lose sight of his dreams! I demand that you just give up the throne and hand it to Neji!"

That really wasn't what I was intending… or better yet, that wasn't our original goal. "Actually, it's not like that. I—"

"Do you think you understand a lot about him?!" She yelled. I even noticed that she's angrier than before, "The Neji who enrolled in a local school, dressed as a woman, is not Neji!"

I suddenly felt the urge to get mad at her as well. "Y-you're wrong!" I finally have the courage to yell back at her, "You're the one who doesn't understand him! What is so important about being a clan leader and being enrolled in an elite Academy? We entered this school for one goal… and that is to attain our freedom! Besides, does being a cross-dresser means he is nothing? Even if Neji-niisan's dressed as a woman, Neji-niisan is still Neji-niisan! This has nothing to do with his fame! What Niisan had decided is something that he thinks is the right thing to do!"

"Don't speak as if you understand!"

Tenten-san suddenly raised her hand—No way! She's going to slap me! "Wah!" I quickly closed my eyes. There's a 'Whap!' sound but I was quite surprised that it wasn't from my face. I wasn't slapped at all.

When I opened my eyes back, I saw Neji-niisan standing before me and he was holding Tenten-san's arm.

"Hinata-sama's going to be late so I came here to get her," Neji-niisan spoke calmly but I can sense the anger in his voice. "Have you had enough, Tenten? What's the use of venting your anger at her? I have already told you before. The reason why I enrolled here and pretended to be a girl is because of me. I have my own personal issues with the clan policies. Why do you still have to drag Hinata-sama into this?"

It was obvious that Tenten-san was really hurt by his words. She was already teary-eyed when she replied, "But Neji! I'm doing this for your own good."

He let her arm go and narrowed his white eyes towards her, "Since when did I ask for something like that?" He crossed his arms over his chest, "Please don't come to Konoha High again. You always think you can control my life. I can't stand that attitude of yours anymore. Leave!"

"H-how mean. You're so cruel, Neji!" Tenten-san wasn't able to hold it any longer. Tears began to burst out of her brown eyes as she quickly turned her back on us and ran away. My heart softened and I suddenly felt mixed emotions when I heard her cry.

I was about to follow Tenten-san when Neji-niisan quickly grabbed my arm to stop me, "Let's go." He spoke firmly.

"Wait Niisan! It hurts!" I told him when I noticed how tight he was holding my arm. "Wait! I told you to wait!" I used up all my strength to successfully brushed his tight grip off my arm.

A surprised expression came across his face when he noticed the way I acted. Yes, I was really angry right now and I don't know why I wasn't able to hide it.

"Tell me, Neji-niisan," I spoke up as I clench my fist, "Why did you treat her like that?"

He raised a brow, "What are you so angry about?"

"Of… of course I'm angry!" There, I finally said it. "Tenten-san worries so much about you. She cares so much about your dreams. Why did you say those words to upset her?"

"But she was scolding you, yet you're still speaking up for her?"

"So what if that's true? She's only doing that for your own good!"

Neji-niisan wasn't able to reply right away. I covered my mouth when realization struck me. Have I said too much?

I noticed that his white eyes were filled with contempt when I looked at them, "Fine, do whatever you want." Was all he said before he turned his back on me and left.

I pursed my lips in agony as I watch him leave. Why do I always make Neji-niisan angry? Aren't I the one who wants him to be happy the most?

Neji clenched his fist in bitterness as he walks away from Hinata. He still can't accept to himself that he's capable of doing those things to one of his best friends back in Junior High.

Instead of going back to class, he preferred to go the school's rooftop where he can be alone. He sat on the floor near the fire exit and buried his face with both hands.

"Why… why was I afraid of Hinata-sama getting hurt?" Neji murmured to himself, "For the sake of protecting her, I even said such horrible words to Tenten. Tch, what am I thinking?"

In the school clinic, two people were busy on something. One of them is obviously the gay doctor himself, Yakushi Kabuto. He was in the middle of kissing someone that time.

"What about today? Wanna come to my room?" The other person asked him when their lips parted.

Kabuto fell silent, thinking if he should accept the offer or not. And just when the doctor was about to say yes, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the room.

"We'll talk about it later," He replied.

The other person got confused, "Hmm… why?"

Kabuto rolled his eyes, showing off an annoyed look, "Because trouble has come to find me."

"Sensei!" Hinata called out to him the moment she opened the door. However, the Hyuuga wasn't able to prepare herself when she witnessed the scene inside the clinic—Kabuto was half-naked and he was hugging another guy. It looks like they were in the middle of a passionate love scene.

Of course, he knew the man he's with and that freaked her out more. _'So what Kiba-kun said before was right! Kakashi-sempai is homosexual as well! Aah!! I've been surrounded by gays!' _She bowed her head low in embarrassment, "I'm sorry!" Hinata apologized to the two of them. _'No way! My… eyes!'_

The doctor shrugged, "Geez," He walked towards the rack near the window and wore his white coat. "Come in. Sorry Kakashi, I'll call you tomorrow."

The other guy nodded with a sigh, "Okay."

Hinata wasn't able to meet Kakashi's gaze when the dorm head walked past her. Instead, she just bowed her head as a sign of respect.

"Kabuto, try not to do anything with this little child," Kakashi reminded the doctor, "Don't lose control just because we haven't finished."

"Why on earth would I do that?!" Kabuto yelled at him angrily.

When Kakashi was nowhere in sight, Hinata quickly asked the doctor out of curiosity, "Sensei… Kakashi-sempai must be the person you liked, right?"

"No," Kabuto replied, "He's my lover."

She shrieked, "Waah!!"

"As usual, you're too innocent," The doctor muttered in annoyance, "So what business do you have here?"

Hinata then started explaining all the things that happened early in the morning. Kabuto was just listening silently. It was obvious in his expression that he wasn't a bit interested on what the girl is talking about.

When she finished talking, Kabuto just shrugged. "So after you pretended to be all mighty, you basically come here to the school clinic, disturbed me while I'm off-duty, just to talk about something that made you cry?" The doctor threw a sharp look at her, "Geez! This isn't a 'love counseling place!'"

"Oh sensei! I have no other way," Hinata replied who was almost teary-eyed, "I can only talk to you truthfully right now."

"But I have no obligations to hear your 'touching little stories.'" Kabuto said sarcastically as he grabs himself a cup of coffee.

"I have made him angry once again. And this time, it's more serious. He keeps on ignoring me after school," Hinata sighed in disappointment, "This is so painful…"

Upon noticing her troubled expression, the doctor sighed helplessly, "Hmph. I don't know what to do with you. Looks like it can't be helped." He placed the cup on the table and walked towards her, "Shall I comfort you?" Hinata's eyes widened when the doctor took off his coat. "With my **body.**"

She quickly jumped out on the sofa where she was sitting and yelled in panic, "I DON'T WANT IT! I DON'T WANT IT! I DON'T WANT COMFORT LIKE THAAAT!!"

"It's a bit too late to say that now," Kabuto said who continues to walk towards her direction. Hinata suddenly found herself being cornered against the sofa by the doctor. "My habit is… once I start taking off my clothes, I won't stop until I've taken everything off."

Now she was really scared. The Hyuuga quickly grabbed a pillow from that sofa to protect herself. "You crazy pervert! You fake gay pretender! Stay away from me!"

"_Baka_, it's just a joke," The doctor walked away from her and wore his coat back, "I told you I'm not interested in women."

'_That seriously scared me.'_ Hinata thought as she tried to relieve herself from the shock.

Kabuto sat back on his chair, "Basically, if it bothers you so much then you should just apologize to him."

She shook her head, "I don't have the courage to do that."

"If you're not confident of yourself, you'll never get anywhere." The doctor met her eyes, "Anyway, what happened to your goal? You told me that you idolized him and you wanted to be like him. This is the path you chose to take, Hinata-chan. Instead of wasting your time sulking, isn't it more important for you to put more effort on things that you can accomplish?"

Hinata's eyes widened in realization. _'Things that I can accomplish? That's right… moping like this isn't going to help me. And the way things are between Neji-niisan and me right now… I really hate it! I don't want to continue this cold war with Neji-niisan. Yes, I have to fight to make up with him!'_

A smile formed in her lips as she bows down before the doctor, "Sensei, _arigato_."

Kabuto just nodded his head simply and replied, "Just get out of here, you."

Hinata was about to walk out of the room when she suddenly remembered something. She turned back to the doctor and spoke, "Sensei," She moved her hand to show a 'thumbs up' sign as she continues, "Gays rule!"

The doctor just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

For five days, Hinata tried everything she can to make up with Neji. However, the latter kept on ignoring her. The quarrel between the rumored 'couple' became the latest item to gossip in school. Both Ino and Sakura can't help but observe the two.

"Geez, that Neji-kun is really persistent. He's still not giving up yet." Ino said while snacking with Sakura in the school's cafeteria.

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Sakura replied, "Hinata-san has been ignoring him for days. Yet, he can still be so submissive in following her. But Hinata-san is really a bit too harsh. I think she should just snap out of it and make up with her boyfriend."

Kiba's ears twitched upon hearing the conversing girls. He quickly approached the table where the two girls are sitting. "What? What did you two say? Hinata is ignoring Neji? Did they get into a fight?" The Inuzuka asked the girls in panic.

Ino rolled her eyes, "Oh please. Anyone who has eyes can see that, okay?" She covered her nose in irritation, "Get away from us. You smell like a dog."

However, the brown-haired guy's attention wasn't on the girls anymore. He quickly walked away from them and headed to the cafeteria's exit. '_I actually let Neji experience this on his own while I'm still here pouting by myself._' He clenched his fist in guilt, _'I'm sorry Neji! I'm not worthy to be your best friend!'_

It's been five days since the fight. I've tried this and that but nothing's happened. I sighed heavily as I watch the students return to their own dorms.

I was still standing outside the Girls' dorm waiting for Neji-niisan to come home. Because he's constantly ignoring me, I wasn't able to get a chance to apologize to him.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me. I looked up and saw Neji-niisan walking towards the dorm's direction. "Oh hello there, Hinata," I greeted. Since we are in a public place, I don't have a choice but to call him with my real name.

"Hn," Niisan replied simply without looking at me. He kept his glance straight towards the dorm.

"Have you eaten dinner?"

"…Yeah."

"I just noticed that you look really cute in that skirt, neh?" When I noticed that his expression darkened even more, I scratched my head in shame and apologized with a smile, "Gomen, I was just kidding. What'd you bring me? How about green tea?"

Neji-niisan's angry eyes twitched at me and I suddenly found myself being pinned against the wall.

"Would you cut it out already?!" He angrily yelled as he presses his palm harder on the wall. "What were you trying to do? How can you still smile? Haven't you thought about for whose sake did I scold at Tenten for?"

I wasn't able to reply right away. I remained staring at him, wide-eyed, upon noticing the agony reflected in his sorrowful eyes.

"Haven't you even thought of my feelings?"

'_I just don't like it when the atmosphere is so down that's why I've been joking around.' _I wanted to tell him but I wasn't able to voice it. Then without another word, Neji-niisan left me and proceeded to enter the Girls' dorm.

That night, Hinata's heart felt heavy when she returned to the Boys' dorm. When she reached her room, she noticed that her two roommates aren't there. Shino usually stays up all night for his studies in the library and Kiba… who knows? Maybe he had other things to do as well.

Right now, it's better to be alone. The Hyuuga sat on the floor and leaned her body against the wall. She suddenly heard the door creaked open—it was Kiba.

"Neji, I was looking everywhere for you. How have you been?" He asked as he bended down to face her.

Hinata gathered the courage to show a small smile, "What are you talking about? I see you everyday." Suddenly, hot tears started to crawl down on her face. _'Oh my God, why am I crying?'_

Kiba's eyes widened in panic upon noticing her tears, "Neji, what's wrong? Are you okay? It's because of that woman… Hinata, right? I'm going to talk to her right now!" Hinata quickly grabbed the end of Kiba's shirt to stop him from going.

"Kiba don't… we just got into another argument," She then found herself confessing her feelings to her roommate, "What's wrong with me? It's like I'm prone to making Hinata mad. I always make her mad." She cried even more, "I know I sh-shouldn't c-cry b-but…" She muttered in between sobs, "B-but…" The girl hugged her legs and continued to cry.

'_God, I want to hold him tightly in my arms!'_ Kiba thought while watching his roommate cry. He extended his hand but he suddenly felt mixed emotions, _'No… no… what the hell am I thinking? He's a guy and I'm a guy too… but it's okay if two guys can… No, I can't.'_

Instead, the Inuzuka just patted her head simply and spoke, "Just cry… cry it out. Everything will be okay afterwards." _'This is fine! This is fine!'_

"Thank you, Kiba."

_**TBC **_

**A/N:** Since YouTube is starting to play eenie-minie-mainie-moe among AMV makers again (yes, because four of my YT friends got banned this week TT), I've decided to take a break from AMVs and just update this fanfic. Consecutive uploading might put my account in danger again. So yeah, expect me to update a lot. :D

Sorry if I made Tenten a villain here. I just don't have other characters to use and I really hate to produce OC's DX

**NejiHina plushies for: **winterkaguya, risingfallback, PandaDragon, ShadowBlitz, kawaiiS and dark-emo-gal

Kyaa! Thanks for the reviews! :-)

Please leave some lovely reviews once again if you want a fast update. Thanks.


	8. The Real Reason

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Eight: The Real Reason**

We hide our identities and entered a local school. I stayed in the Boys' Dormitory while Neji-niisan entered the Girls'. Such a dangerous and desperate plan… is all because we want to be free from our clan's strict policies. At first, I thought being with Neji-niisan would be like being with an older brother…I thought I would definitely be able to get used to it and feel at ease but I forgot about one thing—As the days go on, I noticed that my feelings for him are starting to change from a simple admiration to something else. Something unexplainable.

I watch my reflection in the mirror that was on my room's bathroom. With my hair-cut and the thick vest that covers my chest, no doubt about it, anyone would really think I'm a boy. Thinking about on how things worked out for me, it's all thanks to Neji-niisan. I let out a sigh when I tried to recall the things he taught me before we transferred in this school…

"_Don't smile too brightly." _

"_Hai!"_

"_Your eyes can't be dreamy. Be more focused."_

"_Hai!"_

"_As for your voice, don't coax like the other girls."_

"_Hai!"_

"_Lower."_

"_Hai…?"_

"_Lower, Hinata-sama."_

"_Hai."_

"_That's better."_

"_Does that mean it would be fine for me to be a boy now, Neji-niisan?"_

"_Uh-huh. It would be perfectly fine."_

"_Yes!"_

"_Oh, one more thing."_

"_What is it, Niisan?"_

"_Do not call guys with the '-kun.'"_

"_Eh? What's so unusual about that?"_

"_It sounds girly when it comes to you."_

"_But—"_

"_No more buts. Do as I say and you'll survive."_

I bit my lip in disappointment after I finished reminiscing. It probably took me three weeks to practice calling guys without the '-kun.' I really got used to it a lot. The training is all worth it. Now I don't suffer with so much difficulty in hiding my real gender.

But thinking back on what happened yesterday, I really can't believe that I made Neji-niisan so angry… to the point that he refuses to talk to me.

When I took a second look at the mirror, my eyes are still swollen. It must be because I cried so much last night. I already iced it and it's still so swollen. What should I do?

That morning, Kiba just came back to his room from his club practice. It was Saturday so there were no classes that day. Shino was preparing for his things inside the bag. It seems like the Aburame was going for a walk but Kiba didn't bother to ask where his roommate is going. Well, Shino likes being mysterious anyway.

"Where's Neji?" Kiba asked.

"Shower." Was all Shino said and then left the room.

"Shower?" He suddenly felt a rush of excitement inside him when he heard the splashes of water inside the bathroom. The Inuzuka was about to head towards the bathroom but halted when he realized something, "What am I doing? I must stay calm. Wait… Neji's also a guy. It shouldn't be a problem if we shower together," Kiba's face brightened at the idea, "Right, right. Besides, by showering together, we'll save money on the water bill. I think I should go in."

When Kiba was about to go to the bathroom, Hinata stepped out just in time. "Oh, Kiba. _Ohayou._" The Hyuuga greeted while drying up her hair.

The Inuzuka suddenly felt awkward and looked away, "You…. you shower pretty fast." _'Why the hell am I getting disappointed for?!'_

"Where's Shino-san?" She asked when she noticed that her other roommate isn't present inside the room.

"Shino… went out." The brown-haired guy answered, still feeling a bit nervous.

"I see," Hinata sat on her bed and combed her short hair. She looked up at Kiba and muttered seriously, "Kiba, sorry to let you see me at such an embarrassing moment last night. I'm so sorry."

The guy chuckled, "Oh please, we're brothers. It doesn't matter. If there is anything that makes you sad next time, you can always come to me. Don't take it all by yourself."

"Thank you. It's really good to have you here." She replied with a warm smile.

"Oh, of course," Kiba said, grinning, "That's what friends are for."

Hinata was suddenly in deep thought before she spoke, "Uh… by the way Kiba, I wanted to tell you something."

'_Crap! Is he starting to suspect me?'_ The Inuzuka suddenly felt nervous and tried his best not to meet the girl's eyes. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Hinata and I…" She choked, "...are not what you think we are."

"Damn it! Doesn't she know I scolded at Tenten because I was scared that she might get hurt?" Neji murmured to himself as he walked towards the Boys' dorm, "Am I the only one who cares?"

He was holding a cup of green tea that he bought from his dorm's cafeteria this morning. He knew to himself that he can't ignore Hinata forever. Sooner or later, he might end up being the one who will apologize to her first.

Neji let out a sigh. What the hell is he getting all worked up for? A man with so much pride like him can't believe that his heart would actually soften for that girl.

Just when he was about to enter the office of the dorm head, he met Kiba along the way. It seems like the Inuzuka just went out of his dorm.

"I'm looking for… Neji." Neji told Kiba. He doesn't like the way he stares at him. There's a tinge of 'knowing look' in the brown-haired guy's eyes and it's making him uncomfortable.

"What for?" Kiba replied sarcastically, "I already knew the truth… that you and he aren't—"

"You knew?" He cuts him off, wide-eyed.

The Inuzuka was a bit surprised to see his repressed panicked expression, "Yes. That you and he aren't really… **lovers."**

"Ah… that." He said as he tried to calm himself. Well, knowing Hinata, she was probably depressed the whole night that she ended up telling that part of the truth to her roommate. For a moment there, he really thought she told him about their real genders.

"Can you lend me your ear for a minute?" Kiba said with a meaningful look and went on ahead. He knew that he should follow him suit. After all, Kiba would surely talk about the same thing that had been bugging him all night.

They ended up in the second floor of the school building. Since there were no classes, the hallway is normally empty. There would be no risk of anyone hearing what the two of them are going to talk about.

"Well, what is it?" Neji asked.

Kiba stared at him with a hard look on his eyes, "Hyuuga Hinata, everytime I see you, I get angry. It's fine if you think you're beautiful and Neji's crazy over you. Why do you have to make him suffer? What do you take him as?"

"What can I take him as?" The Hyuuga replied bluntly, "Neji is my cousin. Or are you thinking that I should treat him as something else?"

"Are you still not satisfied for having a nice guy like him as your cousin? I don't even get to have this kind of relationship. I beg you to change your attitude, okay? Don't always put on that face. Only ghosts would want to live with you." Kiba glared at him even more. _'Fine! I don't care if it makes me gay. If it can keep Neji from crying like that… I'll be gay or whatever it takes!' _

"Weird," Neji shot him a confused look, "What's your relationship with Neji? Why are you lecturing me on how I should treat him?"

The Inuzuka suddenly felt awkward and he felt his heart drumming nervously, "Oh… I'm… I'm just Neji's good friend… good dorm mate."

"I don't see you treating your other dorm mates so friendly. I think Neji must've have asked you to talk to me, right?"

"This has nothing to do with Neji, okay? I'm just not cool with it."

"Why aren't you? Could it be that… you feel a need to interfere with everything regarding Neji?"

"Yeah!" Kiba replied as he tried hard not to look at the Hyuuga's suspecting eyes. "Even if you think I like Neji… even if you think I'm gay… I don't care!"

Neji was dumb-founded. "I didn't say you're gay. Why do you think that way about yourself?"

Kiba quickly looked away in guilt, "Of course I'm not gay! I just… I… I…" He stammered, "I just can't bear to see Neji sad. I can't bear to see him upset. As long as someone makes Neji cry, I will step out of the Karate Club for a day and I'll let him or… her have it!"

Neji just shook his head in annoyance upon noticing Kiba's reaction, "How stupid…"

Irritated, the Inuzuka suddenly pinned him on the wall. Though Neji was taller than he is, he still believes to himself that he's the man between the two of them. _'It's already irritating that she's taller than I am. Why does she have to be so fucking calm? In this situation, she's supposed to scream for help. This woman is really pissing me off!'_

"Hyuuga Hinata, don't be too full of yourself just because you're a woman. As Konoha High's future Karate club captain, I demand that, from now on, treat Neji better." Kiba demanded, staring sharply at him.

Neji smirked—the irritating smirk of a woman. "You can't even control your own feelings. Don't try to be Neji's protector."

"What protector?!" Kiba replied angrily, "Oh please, even anyone with a heart can't bear to see the way you treat him!" The Inuzuka walked away from him to cool down. "God! I'm so mad!"

Neji was about to say something when he saw Hinata walking alone in one of the school's pathways below the building.

"That Kiba," Hinata grumbled, "He forgot to buy food for Akamaru again. I wonder where he went? My God…"

"What are you saying 'my God' for?" A familiar elderly voice suddenly spoke behind her.

She turned around and saw the school principal, grinning at her. "Oh, Jiraiya-sama."

Jiraiya was a bit surprised to see her face, "Your eyes are so red and swollen. Have you been crying? If there is anything wrong, you can tell the principal."

She shook her head, "It's nothing, nothing." _'As usual, it really feels weird when I talk to this old man. I'm not comfortable with his presence around.'_

The old man walked closer to her and whispered in her ear, "I'm sure you've heard from Inuzuka-kun that anyone who talks to me… will get pregnant afterwards."

Hinata's eyes widened in panic and stared at the principal nervously, "Is… is that true?!"

Jiraiya's brows rose up. "You're not even a girl, so how will you get pregnant? _BAA-KA…_ Yet, you're still so nervous." He suddenly placed an arm around her and walked with her, "You little fellow is pretty cute. Think about it, when two men are together… how can you get pregnant, right?"

The girl nodded her head nervously, "Yeah, I'm a guy…" _'It's okay… he's still the school principal anyway.'_

Upon seeing the two together, Neji's eyes widened in panic. He quickly took off in a determined sprint to chase after the two. Even Kiba was surprised to see him running away from him.

"Oi Hinata!" The Inuzuka called out as he chased after him, "I'm not done talking to you and you're trying to run away?!"

Neji ignored Kiba and ran as fast as he could. "That idiot! How can she go with that pervert?" He murmured to himself as he rushed down on the stairs. He was known to be a fast runner since Junior High but with the skirt and high-heeled sandals he's wearing, he knew it would definitely slow him down. _'I'm an idiot too! I shouldn't keep on avoiding Hinata-sama! Now she's in a really dangerous situation!' _He thought as he clenched his fist, breaking the cup of tea in his hand.

"Damn it, where did they go?" He said when he reached the pathway where Hinata and Jiraiya are talking earlier.

"Stop right there, Hinata!" Kiba yelled who was still chasing after him, "I wasn't done talking to you!"

"Tch. This guy is really annoying. I must get rid of him first." He broke the heels in his sandals and started running again. His mind quickly thought of ways to keep the Inuzuka from chasing him.

"Hey Hinata-chan!" He halted when he heard Ino's voice. She was sitting with Sakura in one of the benches of the school, "Why are you running?"

'_I don't have time for this!'_ An idea suddenly entered his mind and told the girls, "Because of that guy!" He pointed at Kiba who was now a few feet away from them.

"Kiba-kun? What did he do?" Sakura asked curiously.

"He's… trying to harass me." Neji lied.

His answer shocked the girls, "NANI?!"

"I'll let you girls handle him. I'm sure you're more than happy to do so." Without another word, Neji continued to run in search for Hinata.

"Hey Hinata!" Kiba yelled in desperation, "I told you to stop!"

"You pervert!" Ino blurted out angrily as she blocks Kiba's way, "What were you trying to do? Why are you taking advantage of our friend?"

Kiba stared at them, wide-eyed, "P-pervert?"

"Chasing after girls is a dirty act! I can't believe that you're that kind of person, Kiba-kun!" Sakura added who was also angry.

The brown-haired guy gritted his teeth in anger._ 'That blasted woman… she's going to get it someday.'_

"Really?" Hinata stared at Jiraiya musingly.

"Yes, I'll show you more next time." The old man answered.

Just then, the door of the room suddenly opened in a loud thud—it was Neji whose expression looks like he had just battled a thousand of wild animals.

'_Neji-niisan!' _Hinata thought. She was so surprised by his sudden arrival. _'What is he doing here? And with the way he looks now, it's so… unfeminine.' _

"You pervert, what are you doing to him?!" Neji asked Jiraiya as he approaches the two. He was still panting, exhausted from running around the school.

"Oujo-san! Did you come here to join us?" Jiraiya grinned excitedly, "But you look kind of messy…"

"Answer me, dammit!" He cursed at the old man in anger. As for now, he's not the Hyuuga Neji who would think clearly before he says or act. It maybe hard to admit to himself but when it comes to Hinata, he doesn't care about anything anymore.

"C-calm down," Hinata answered instead, "We were just drinking tea." She even raised the cup of tea as proof. Upon seeing this, Neji felt like a thousand of thorns were removed from his body.

"Yes, a principal drinking tea with his student is pretty normal. No need to be so nervous, Oujo-san." Jiraiya stood up then, "Well then, I have to go back to the office. I have a meeting coming up."

"Thank you for the tea. It was really good." Hinata told the principal.

Jiraiya smiled, "I'll give you more some time." He walked towards the other Hyuuga.

This time, Neji was more than prepared to do a counter attack for the old man. Just when Jiraiya was about to touch him in that part again, he quickly pulled something from his pocket—a mouse trap.

"ITAI!!" It sent Jiraiya flying towards his office, screaming in pain. Neji just remained standing in front of her, unaffected.

Hinata sweat-dropped. _'What's wrong with Jiraiya-sama?' _When she looked back at Neji, she noticed that the guy is staring at her. Her eyes glanced downwards to avoid an awkward moment. _'I wonder why Neji-niisan was so impetuous. Did something happen? Oh no! My eyes are really swollen. I can't let him know that I cried all night. I'll just pretend to drink tea.' _She held the cup and looked up to him, _'Oh no…he's still staring at me!'_

"Hinata-sama," Neji spoke finally, "I hope you won't think that I'm a cold-blooded person because of how harshly I treated Tenten," She heard him sigh before he asked, "Have I ever told you the real reason why I decided to cross-dress with you in this school?"

The girl nodded her head, "It's because you wanted to be the clan leader, right?"

"No," He answered, "It's because I'm afraid of pressure."

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, "What? H-how come? It's your dream!"

"That's what your father wanted for me," He spoke exasperatedly, "I'm known to be a genius since grade school. Because of my abilities, the clan selfishly decided that I will be the future leader. When Hiashi-sama told me about the deal, I willingly accepted it," He paused for awhile before he continues, "If I wanted to be a clan leader, I could be. But since I cannot handle the pressure, I decided to choose my freedom."

A short moment of silence before Hinata finally replied, "W-why are you telling me? Don't you hate m—"

"I don't hate you," He snapped, "If it wasn't for you, the clan would have forced me to be the leader. When you came into my life, a lot of things have changed."

Hinata's heart pounded when she noticed him staring deeply into her eyes. _'Sometimes just like this, his eyes sharpen and his expression goes back to being a guy's. Niisan can't probably help it as well… Maybe it's really a force of habit._ _More and more, I begin to miss his face without make-up…'_

"That's why I'm here with you, trying my best so we would graduate as what your father expected." Eventually, Neji showed a smile—a smile of reassurance.

It warmed Hinata's heart so much that she suddenly felt the tears that slowly crawl down on her face. "N-Neji-niisan…"

Neji's eyes widened in shock upon seeing her face, "Hey, why are you crying? I thought I told you before… a guy shouldn't cry."

"I'm just… s-so happy!" She blubbered through tears. "So… v-very… happy!"

"You…" Neji held her head and drew her face closer to her chest. "…idiot." He suddenly found himself locking the girl in his tight embrace once again.

Hinata's cheeks blushed when she felt the warmness of his chest. Never mind the fact that he's wearing the fake breasts, she can still feel the wholeness of Neji as a man. "Ne-Neji-niisan?!"

"Quiet." Neji replied coolly, "I don't happen to have a handkerchief with me."

The girl found herself clinging to his clothes and cried freely there_. 'No matter how many times I feel like I was broken…I keep feeling like I can keep on trying.'_

He suddenly held her head up to face him, "Another reason is… I also…" He felt his cheeks heating up as he confesses, "… wanted to protect you." Right now, the sound of his own voice is really strange in his ears.

Confusion came across Hinata's face. The girl asked curiously, "Uh… Niisan, I've been wondering for a long time…Why do you want to protect me anyway?"

Neji sweat-dropped. _'How can there be such a slow-minded person?' _He thought and let the girl go. "Let's go." He muttered in annoyance, "I have homework to do."

"Ah…hai." The girl immediately picked up her things that was on the table and followed him.

"I'm such an idiot," Neji murmured to himself, "I guess I said all that for nothing."

"Huh? Did you say something?" Hinata asked.

Neji shrugged, "Nothing."

_**TBC**_

**A/N:** As this story goes on, I noticed that the chapter's titles are getting lamer DX Like before, leave some reviews. I want to know what my readers are thinking. I accept anonymous reviews as long as you don't flame. _Arigato! _

Ice creams for: **dark-emo-gal, risingfallback, SilverRain, Mintwafflez, michiyo-rae, kawaiiS**

Thanks for the enchanting reviews! :D Please do keep them coming.

-goes back to watch kawaiiS' Caramelldansen-


	9. Hey Juliet!

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Nine: Hey Juliet!**

I'm Hyuuga Hinata and I have a secret that I can't tell anyone. For some strange circumstance with my father, me, along with my cousin, Hyuuga Neji, switched places and transferred to a local school in Konoha. Right now, we're struggling so hard for our goals to be fulfilled.

"I'm done! Your turn!" I declared as I went out of the bathroom that morning. What greeted me outside was Shino who was obviously running out of patience in waiting for me to come out. Though I can't read his possible expression because of his glasses, I can still feel his flaring aura and it's really scaring me. I also noticed that Kiba is still sleeping on the upper bunk.

"You took a total of one hour and twenty minutes. Were you trying to release a bomb in there?" Shino asked coldly, "What exactly are you doing there inside? You always come out with a big bag of things."

I held the bag tightly and replied nervously, "These are just my bathing essentials."

He crossed his arms over his chest, "You call those 'bathing essentials?'"

I bit my lip. _'Why is he so suspicious?'_ "It's not enough for me to use this!" I finally answered, "Hayako Shino-san! You'll get late if you don't hurry up. I'll wake Kiba." I quickly shoved him inside the bathroom before he could reply.

I walked towards Kiba's bed and nudged his body to wake him up. Since he was facing the wall, I wasn't able to see his face. "Hey Kiba, wake up! You're going to get late."

Kiba slowly pulled himself up from the bed. My eyes widened when I finally saw his face—he had a severe black eye on the right side of his face. "HUH?! What happened to you?!"

"Thanks to that cousin of yours." He replied as he rubbed his eyes groggily and yawned.

What? Niisan beat him up? Somehow, I find that hard to believe. "What are you talking about? Hinata could not—"

"How terrible of those girls to treat me as a pervert," He cuts off, "I was only trying to knock some sense to that Hinata…" Kiba then started telling me all the things that happened yesterday while I was tending his bruise. It was a good thing I managed to bring a medical kit with me from home in case of emergencies.

"You don't have to do that. But… it's really nice of you to speak up to her for me," I smiled, "We've made up once again. I guess it's all thanks to you, Kiba."

His eyes widened, "M-me?" His face inches closer to mine, "N-Neji…"

"Hmm?"

"I don't need to say it for you to understand, right?" He met my eyes and spoke seriously, "To me… you're…"

"Like a friend, right?" I guessed.

Kiba cocked an eyebrow, "Eh?"

"I think of you as my best friend also!" I replied proudly as I keep the things inside the medical kit and stood up, "Better hurry up or you'll get late, Kiba!"

"Friend? Uh… yeah!" He said as he jumped off the bed, "Wait for me, Neji!"

Neji was waiting for Hinata outside the Boys' dorm as usual. After what happened yesterday, he had a feeling that he shouldn't just let her hang out with other guys too much.

When he spotted her walking out of the dorm with Kiba, he quickly approached their direction. After what he did yesterday, Neji had already expected to meet Kiba's deadly glare. But what startled him the most is to see the Inuzuka's arm that was placed around his cousin's shoulder.

When Hinata saw him, she smiled, "Good morning, Hina—"

She wasn't able to finish when Neji grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him. Even Kiba was surprised to see him acting like this.

"Hey!" Kiba shouted. _'Even if that devil woman is __**my**__ Neji's cousin, aren't they getting a little too close?'_

But Neji ignored Kiba and shoved him away. "Don't let people put their arms around your shoulders," He whispered to her.

"Huh?"

"You should be more aware of the people around you."

"Why is that?" She answered with a confused look on her face, "Kiba and I are just friends. Besides, skin ship is normal for guys."

He looked at her sharply, "That's not what I meant. What I'm saying is—"

"Why are you getting angry? Are you…" She whispered, "…on your period?"

Neji's eyes widened in shock, "WHAT?!"

"Gomen! I'm just teasing!" She apologized, still smiling. _'It's really fun to see him reacting like that. Like I said before, it was a force of habit. Niisan is still Niisan even if he's dressed up as a girl. But most of all, the important thing is that our relationship is back to normal once again. Yes, we're back to looking after each other in this school.'_

"Oi! Oi!" Kiba called out to them and pushed them apart from each other. He forced a smile at Neji and told him, "Can you please stop distracting him? We have to hurry up."

He nodded, "If you say so." He grabbed Hinata's arm once again and walked with her towards the school, "Come on, _Neji-kun." _

Hinata was dumb-founded, however. _'Did I ever say it's a force of habit? He seems to be enjoying this a lot more than I do.'_

"Hey wait!" Kiba yelled. The Inuzuka was so mad to see this that he tried to break the two apart. Unfortunately for Kiba, Neji's grip on his arm was tighter like he had become more protective towards her.

'_The more she hangs out with guys, the more she had forgotten that she used to be a really shy girl,' _Neji thought when he recalled Hinata's behavior earlier_, 'Letting her share a room with men might seem to be a bad idea after all. This girl sure is—" _His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a woman's voice echoed the whole school.

"Everyone at Konoha High—_OHAYOU!_ This is the charismatic Drama Club President! I'm here to inform everyone of very important news!"

Everyone's attention was turned towards the direction of the voice—it was from the school stage. Some students even gathered around it. Curiously, they looked up at the stage and saw an unfamiliar girl who was holding a microphone. Her blonde hair was tied into four ponytails and like any usual high school girl; she was also wearing the designated uniform—but the badges she had pinned on the right side of her uniform made a difference. Maybe she belonged to the students who have received a lot of outstanding awards.

"Who is she?" Hinata asked Kiba since he was the only old student between the three of them.

"Temari-sempai, a Senior," Kiba answered with an annoyed look, "That bossy girl is the President of the Drama Club and the daughter of the School Director."

"Oh, I see," Hinata nodded and turned her attention back on the stage. When she was still in Junior High, the only clubs she had joined are the Book Club and other clubs that doesn't require more exciting and strenuous activities. When she entered this school, she had become a member of the Karate Club but tried not to be so active there since Neji reminded her that she's still a girl and she shouldn't involve herself with riskier activities. The Drama Club was number one in her list to join when she reaches high school. Deep down, she wanted to join that kind of club before but she didn't manage to do so. Maybe it was because of her poor self-esteem.

On the other hand, Neji didn't show any reaction at all. He was never interested in extra-curricular activities because he believes it's just a waste of time for him.

"This year, the Drama Club is holding a play you're all familiar with… Guess what? Go ahead guess!" Loud shouts of the students echoed in the air and they were all shouting their guesses. Temari sure is a real crowd-pleaser. "Yes, it's going to be Romeo and Juliet!"

"Romeo and Juliet?" Hinata suddenly found herself being interested, _"S-sugoi…_ I love that story."

"I have already made my choices for the students chosen to be a part of the play. Even though you're not a member of the Drama Club, surely you will not reject this once-in-a-lifetime offer, ne?" Temari winked as she continues, "First up in the list is… Hyuuga Hinata-chan!"

Neji frowned upon hearing the name. The attention of everyone turned towards him. Hinata was the one who got excited and whispered, "Niisan, it's you!"

He shook his head and told the people, "I'm not joining." He made sure that his voice reaches the Drama Club President. Covering up for his real identity is already hard enough so joining a club would probably be just another burden for him to carry.

"Why not? That's such a waste." Hinata whined.

"Not interested."

Temari sighed in disappointment. "Well then, since she had declined, then we shouldn't force her. Let's proceed to the next person… it's…" She paused for awhile before she continues, "…Hyuuga Neji-kun!"

"Me?" Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, "That would be great!"

"I'm happy for you, Neji!" Kiba exclaimed happily and was about to hold her in the shoulder but he wasn't able to do so when he felt his heart drumming nervously once again, "Uh… r-really happy."

"Thank you, Ki—" Before she could finish, Hinata found herself being dragged by Neji away from the crowd. They hid behind the building so there would be no risk of Kiba following them there.

"You're going to participate?" He asked with a panic look in his eyes. Neji was obviously worried.

She nodded, "Of course. I've wanted to join the Drama club for a long time. I think it will make me more confident."

"You… being an actor…" He looked at her from head to toe, "You don't even know what kind of clothes you'll be asked to put on."

"That will be fine! I'm actually looking forward to it. I think being in a male costume would make me cooler."

''_Doesn't she even give any second thoughts on the possible consequences?'_ He held both of her shoulders, "That's not what I'm saying! You… might have to go…" He looked away and lowered his voice, "…nude."

She frowned, "Eh? What?"

His cheeks started to heat up as he struggled to answer, "How should I explain this… you—"

"Then who's willing to replace Hinata-chan?" Temari announced once again. This time, her voice is louder to make sure it reaches them.

Neji sighed helplessly. He let go of Hinata and walked back to the crowd.

Temari smirked. She had already expected the next thing the Hyuuga is going to do.

He raised a hand and declared, "All right, I'll join."

Later in the afternoon, all students who were recruited to the Drama Club gathered inside the club room for their first meeting. The first time Neji and Hinata stepped inside, students were already crowding around them. She can't believe that this club is so popular.

"This is really amazing," Hinata exclaimed as she looks around the room. It was very well-arranged complete with the stage, appliances, mannequins and other sorts of things needed for the drama plays. "I didn't expect this club to be so refreshing."

Neji paused for awhile before he muttered, "Do you find it strange that Temari-sempai suddenly decided to enter us to this club? They're not even sure if we have a talent for acting."

"Well, we're already acting right now, ne?" Hinata whispered to him.

Neji looked around before he whispered back, "Watch your mouth. Someone might hear you."

"Uh…s-sorry! But… it's going to be okay!" She assured him, "A little practice won't hurt. I'm sure it wouldn't be so hard to memorize some lines."

'_I think it'll be harder since I have to protect you.' _Neji wanted to tell her but he kept his mouth shut. If he were to compare the situation they're in right now, it's like they're jumping into molten lava with missiles strapped on their backs.

"Neji!"

Hinata turned her head and saw Kiba behind her. "Kiba, what are you—"

"What are you doing here?" It was Neji who completed the question with a glare. He was obviously not happy by the Inuzuka's sudden arrival.

"I joined the Drama Club as well!" Kiba answered who glared back at the Hyuuga.

Neji narrowed his eyes towards him, "Since when did that happen? I didn't hear your name being announced."

"Uh… that's—" The brown-haired guy suddenly fell in a deep thought. He recalled what happened earlier after Temari's announcement on the stage…

--

"_Temari-sempai!" Kiba called out when he caught sight of the Drama Club President in the school halls._

"_Yes?" Temari replied who stopped walking to face him._

"_I… I want to join the club too!"_

"_But—"_

_Kiba went down on his knees and begged her, "PLEASE! Give me the ticket to the Drama Club! Please! You must, MUST let me have it!"_

--

After Kiba finished reminiscing, he looked back at Neji and continued, "Of course Temari-sempai announced my name. Your head must be in the clouds for not being able to hear it." He walked ahead of the two of them to avoid meeting Neji's keen eyes. Somehow, he can't help getting nervous around him.

While walking around, Kiba's gaze suddenly landed on some costumes that were hanged in a rack. Those were obviously costumes that are going to be used in the play.

"Neji! Neji this!" He called out at Hinata as he grabbed a costume from the rack. He picked the one for Romeo's role.

Hinata's eyes sparkled in interest when she saw it, "Sugoi!" She exclaimed as she grabs another costume from the rack, "What wonderful costumes! This dress must be for Juliet's part!"

An idea suddenly entered Kiba's mind and called out to Hinata, _"Oh, Juliet." _

"_Oh, Romeo."_ The girl replied who decided to play along as well, _"Wherefore art thou Romeo?"_

Kiba smiled and walked closer to her, "That's because… I'm going to tell you why—"

Neji suddenly walked right between them and told her, "Juliet is a girl." He pushed the Inuzuka away to prevent him from getting closer to her.

Hinata's eyes widened when realization struck her. "Of… of course… I already knew that. Kiba and I are—we… we were just joking around." _'Oh my God! I got carried away again!'_

"Everyone! Let's gather in the stage!" Temari announced.

Neji then grabbed Hinata's hand and led her to the stage followed by the other members inside the club.

Kiba, who still thought they were playing, called out to Hinata, "_Juliet… Juliet…?_" Upon hearing no reply from the girl, he shouted, "JULIET!"

"Oi." A cold voice behind him spoke, "Be quiet, _Romeo._"

Kiba's eyes widened when he saw one of his roommates behind him. "Shino?!" He blurted out in shock, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I'm the Vice President of this club," Shino answered.

"So this must be the reason why you've been busy on Saturdays, huh?" He teased. At least one of the thousand mysteries about the Aburame had been solved. "Oh man, I can't believe it! All this time, the heartless being is interested in stage plays! I can't wait to tell the other guys! Bwahahaha!"

"Shut up, you ninny," Shino snapped, "Or else I'll kick you out of the club."

He chuckled, "You wouldn't, you couldn't."

The Aburame became more serious, "I would, I could. I'm the Vice President, remember?"

Kiba stopped laughing and preferred to be quiet. He had gone through a lot just to enter this club. He even went down on his knees, for _Kami's_ sake! _'I won't let Neji and Hinata be alone together as long as I'm still alive! Just the two of them working together in this club feels wrong any way I look at it.' _He thought while looking at the two Hyuugas.

When the club members' introductions were finished, Temari proceeded to discuss about the play, "Obviously, I have decided to recruit Hyuuga Hinata-chan and Hyuuga Neji-kun because I want them to play the roles of Romeo and Juliet."

The two Hyuugas just nodded. They already expected it seeing as how they got so popular in this school so quickly. Hinata was so excited to do her part on the play while Neji felt the opposite. He just wanted this to be over and go home.

"As you all heard, Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story about star-crossed lovers," Temari continues, "But you all know me, I dislike **boring** love stories."

All the members of the Drama club sweat-dropped, _'Then why did you choose it in the first place?!'_ They all thought.

"Fret not, people. I'm not finished yet," Temari's glance landed on both Hinata and Neji, as if she were studying their appearances, "This year we're doing a comedy version of Romeo and Juliet."

Neji swallowed. _'What is this nagging feeling?' _He thought when he suddenly became so nervous. Sometimes, he really hates this instinct of his. He knew something bad was bound to happen. Something really bad and unexpected.

The President flashed a grin, "I'm going to switch their roles! Neji-kun will be Juliet and Hinata-chan will be Romeo! Everyone, isn't this a lovely idea?"

_**TBC**_

**A/N: **Eh, sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy making the Naruto parodies. Hope you enjoyed reading this chappie! Hey Juliet is the title of the song I really like from LMNT by the way. Don't ask why I made it the chapter title. I just ran out of ideas again XD

Sorry about the fluffiness and the cliffys y'all! I'm not the kind of writer who would write romance and the other 'possible pairings' right away. Just wait for it to develop as the chapters go on.

Candies for:** Puggy Poo, PandaDragon, dark-emo-gal, michiyo-rae, kawaiiS, ShadowBlitz, winterkaguya, risingfallback, SilverRain, skooma-kittyness-RAWR, mshinata, Suils Saifir **and **Sunny Sakura**

Thanks for the luffly reviews! Keep 'em coming!


	10. Unexpected Roles

**He Said, She Said**

By Marshie-chan

**Chapter Ten: Unexpected Roles**

Both Neji-niisan and I stiffened upon hearing what was just announced. We remained sitting still like our bodies have been frozen in our seats. Yes, it's all because Temari-sempai said that both Neji-niisan and I are going to play Romeo and Juliet with our roles being switched—Neji-niisan carrying a boy's role while I'll be carrying the girl's. If ever we dressed up the way the two of us are supposed to look like, people might really suspect. What are we going to do?

The rest of the members of the club applauded. "Awesome!" A student exclaimed in admiration, "We can do it President! If the roles are switched, the play is going to be a smashing success!"

"Indeed," Temari nodded and shifted her gaze towards us, "A cross-dress play can be attributed to a comedic performance. I'm sure you wouldn't mind, Neji-kun and Hinata-chan?"

I pursed my lips in guilt. If we refuse to take the roles, we might get more suspicious. I'm sure Neji-niisan had already realized that before I do. If I had listened to what he had warned me about before we enter, then we wouldn't have signed up for the Drama club. God, it's all my fault.

"Neji and Hinata's roles are going to get… switched?" Kiba pondered, "That means…. I… I get to see Neji d-d-dressed as a girl?"

Niisan's angry eyes twitched at Kiba and without warning, he hit him in the head, "Stop imagining weird things, you idiot."

"Argh!" Kiba groaned and shot a hot glare at Niisan, "I wasn't!"

Suddenly, Neji-niisan raised a hand and told the blonde girl, "President, I want to make a suggestion."

Temari turned to look at him, "Hmm? What is it, Hinata-chan?"

Niisan cleared his throat before he spoke up, "In my own opinion, there are a lot of ways to make a comedic performance out of the play. I don't think that it's necessary for our roles to get switched."

I nodded in agreement. It was the only thing I can do at that time. I was too nervous to even speak up. I don't have much of a choice but to depend on what Neji-niisan can do.

The blonde girl analyzed his words first before she replied, "Well yes, you do have a point there. But since I'm the President, you have to do as I say as the members of my club—You're going to play Romeo and Juliet the way I like and that's an order!" Her voice suddenly became louder. And she really gets scary when she's getting angry. "Besides, what's the problem in cross-dressing? It was just an act, nothing serious here!"

Oh no….I wonder what will happen if we tell her that we're already cross-dressing right now? I think Temari-sempai might collapse.

Neji-niisan remained calm. "What if we refuse? It's not like you're going to force us, right?"

"Oh?" Temari stared at him challengingly, "But there's something I can do rather than forcing you," The blonde girl smirked. God, I always get nervous whenever I hear her smirk. She took a deep breath before she called out, "Kankuro!"

A brown-haired boy walked in from the club room door. He was a bit chubby but despite that, he's obviously a good-looking guy with a camera hanged around his neck.

"For those who do not know him, he is Sabaku Kankuro, my older brother," Temari introduced, "He's also a Senior and the President of the Photography Club."

Kankuro flashed a friendly smile to us. I noticed that almost every girl in the club squealed. "Nice to meet you all," He said with a wink, "Sorry but I don't date girls for now. Unless if… you look a lot like my sister."

Everyone in the room was freaked out by the last sentence. "Wah! Aren't they s-siblings?!" I heard someone say. Even I was a bit disturbed. What's with this guy? Sister complex? What's next?

"Kankuro was only joking. You guys are too absurd." Temari said in annoyance. She threw a 'don't-do-that-again' look at her older brother before she accepted a piece of brown envelope from him. "Feast your eyes on this!" She tossed the envelope towards us. It was Neji-niisan who caught it.

I noticed that everyone gathered around us to look at what was inside of it as well. When Niisan opened the envelope, we saw some photos there—Oh God, those are photos of Neji-niisan and I together—That time when we were hugging each other under the tree!

Everyone was so surprised to see this. "How did these photos came by?" I said with my cheeks reddening a bit. When I turned to look at Niisan, I know he was thinking the same way I do.

Kiba was obviously pissed to see this as well, "That Kankuro… he's done it again," He turned to look at us and whispered, "You guys should avoid that paparazzi king. He likes to make stories of everyone by his photos."

"R-really, Kiba?" I replied, unbelieving. When I looked back at Niisan, I was quite amazed that he didn't show any reaction at all.

Instead, he turned his attention back to the Sabaku siblings and asked in a sarcastic manner, "So? What do these photos have to do with our roles? It's just a picture of a girl and a guy hugging each other. Nothing big."

Temari smiled slyly before she answered, "When I saw these pictures, I noticed that you two seem to share a good chemistry." She stood up and walked towards Neji-niisan's direction. She whispered something in his ear that I wasn't able to hear.

My eyes widened when I noticed that Niisan's face suddenly paled. What did she just told him?

"Very well," Niisan murmured to himself before he turned his attention back on Temari, "Let's proceed to the discussion, Sempai."

_**Five hours later…**_

"The decision is now final! Good luck in memorizing your dialogues! Nobody has any problem with it, right?" Temari asked the members after she finished assigning the roles.

Kiba was still frowning when he heard the role that he got in the play. _'Come to think of it, why did Hinata get the part of Romeo?' _He thought with a slight pout, '_I want that role so much because I know I'm going to make a love scene with Ne—gah! What am I thinking?' _

The Inuzuka raised a hand, "I do!" He stood up and confronted the President, "Why do I have to be Juliet's cousin? I think Hinata is the right person to carry that part… seeing as how they're both related!"

"And hand Romeo's role to you?" Temari replied with a glare, "No frigging way! We're not holding a drama for homosexuals here!"

Laughter echoed the walls of the club room.

'_Kankuro has the ability to make thousands of stories out of those pictures. He will ruin your reputations… not only in this school but in the society as well. You wouldn't want that to happen, correct?'_

Neji clenched his fist in anger when he remembered what Temari whispered to him yesterday at the club. Really, what did he drag himself into? Who would have thought that that woman had the ability to blackmail him? He shouldn't have joined that club in the first place! But still, he knew he can't blame anyone… especially Hinata. Yes, especially her.

During their break, the two of them were currently sitting in one of the benches of the school grounds to practice their lines. The play is going to be next week so there isn't much time. Somehow, Neji can't help but observe how much Hinata struggled to memorize Juliet's lines. And deep down, he found himself admiring her guts.

Neji read his dialogues and frowned, "Romeo and Juliet?" He pondered, "What kind of story is this anyway?"

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, "Eh?! Niisan, you don't know?!" _'That's really surprising coming from a genius.'_

"I'm not interested in love stories," He replied coolly, "So, can you tell me?"

'_Ugh. How unromantic. Why is he always like this?' _Hinata cleared her throat before she answered, "It's a story about two families that are fighting each other. The son from one family and the daughter from the other fall in love. It's a tragedy. Romeo kills Juliet's cousin and is expelled from the country. On the other hand, Juliet was being forced to marry. Juliet pretended to kill herself and waited for Romeo. Romeo misunderstood and killed himself next to Juliet. When she woke up, Juliet killed herself. After the tragedy, both families agreed to make peace with each other."

Neji just nodded with his usual expressionless face, "Well, I just hoped that our story isn't going to end up like that."

She gazed back at him, confused, "Huh?"

The guy suddenly felt awkward, "Uh…what I mean is… let's start memorizing our lines," He turned his attention back on the piece of paper and started reading some lines, "_'Sin from lips? O trespass sweetly urg'd! Give me my sin again.'" _He frowned,"Sounds like this Romeo guy is a real playboy."

"I still think it sounds romantic," Hinata giggled as she reads her line, "_'You kiss by the book.'_" Suddenly, her cheeks blushed intensely when she read what was on the next line. _'Wah! Do we really have to do this?!'_

Neji got astonished when he saw her reaction. He looked back at the paper and read the next part—now even he was really surprised as well. He turned back to Hinata and told her, "It's okay, Hinata-sama. We just have to act like we're kissing for that scene."

Hinata felt her heart beating rapidly and for some reason, she found herself dazing at him. _'Lately, I felt kind of strange around Niisan. I know it's different than the love of 'friends.' It's different than the love for 'big brother' too. Is this what they call…' _She thought as she held her chest,_ "…love?"' _

"What kind of expression is that?" Neji asked naturally when he noticed her dazing.

"Um… b-because… you just looked so cool when you recited Romeo's line." She said as an excuse and looked away. Neji turned slightly red. _'I think I said something stupid again!' _The blushing of her cheeks got worse.

"There! There!" Neji patted her head and told her, "Practice is over. Let's go have lunch."

"Okay, I'll—" Before Hinata could continue, she noticed something that suddenly landed on her hand—her eyes widened when she saw a spider. "Waah!!" She screamed in panic as she throws herself to Neji.

On the other hand, Neji isn't ready for the girl's weight causing the both of them to land helplessly on the ground. Hinata was on top of him, still screaming her lungs out. "W-what's wrong?" He finally asked her.

"There's a spider!" She cried while shaking her hand in the air, "Wah! Spiders! I hate spiders! Get it off! Get it off!"

Neji was quiet for a second. "Pfft…" Then all of a sudden, he was shaking—scratch that, he was laughing! "Bwahahaha!! It's all right Hinata-sama, it has flown already."

'_Niisan is laughing? Is this real?' _Hinata thought as she blinked her eyes—true enough, he is really laughing._ "Wow… all this time, he always looked so grumpy and stoic. I never thought he would—' _Her heart pounded when she realized she was on top of his lying form.

Even Neji stopped laughing when he noticed their current position now. Hinata's heart was beating so rapidly when he locked gazes with her. Her eyes stared at his lips next. It seems like Neji can read what she is thinking that he drew his lips closer to hers… closer and closer… until…

"What are you guys doing?!" Kiba's voice interrupted the two of them that they weren't able to continue what they were about to do. Both Neji and Hinata turned to the direction of the voice and saw Kiba, Chouji, Shino and Sai staring at them. It was the Inuzuka who was in shock the most, "You're not playing 'kiss-kiss,' are you?"

"No!" Hinata immediately replied as she pulled herself up followed by Neji, "You misunderstood! It's just that… a dog knocked us over!"

"We're practicing the 'kissing scene!'" Neji answered as well.

She bit her lip in embarrassment when she realized that both she and Neji shouted their excuses at the same time. And for some reason, she can't look at Neji anymore. Even the guy felt the same way too.

This made the Inuzuka even more nervous but tried to calm himself. He walked towards Hinata and told her, "Neji, if you needed someone to practice the kissing scene to, you can always count on me."

The surroundings were suddenly filled with sweat-drops galore.

"That's disgusting, man!" Both Shikamaru and Chouji yelled. Sai was fascinated while Shino didn't show any reaction at all.

However, both Neji and Hinata's attentions weren't on the guys anymore. They were still thinking on what happened between them earlier…. or… _what_ could've happened.

'_That was really close…'_

After so many preparations and rehearsals, the day of the play came. It was Saturday so there were no classes and it was also considered as the day for extracurricular activities.

Even though I have memorized my lines, I still can't help getting nervous. Today, I'm going to dress up as a girl—better yet, I'm going to dress up as the real me. The best thing I could do is to act like a man even though I'm wearing a dress so people won't suspect. Yes, I really think that's the best thing to do.

I was currently rushing towards the school stadium where the play is going to get held. On the way, I saw two guys who looked a lot like celebrities standing on the school halls. Strange, I never saw these two before and they looked a lot like grown-ups. I guessed they're already in college.

I was about to walk past the two of them when one of them noticed my presence and called me, "Excuse me Miss, we're going to ask you—"

Irritated, I turned to confront the red and blonde-haired guys, "Who are you calling 'Miss,' you stupid moron?!" I yelled angrily. I'm a guy now. I think it's okay to be a jerk occasionally.

The blonde guy's mouth hung open. He scratched his head before he spoke up, "Y-you're a boy, yeah. I thought…" I also noticed that the red-haired guy was surprised as well but tried not to show so much reaction.

Geez, why do I often have to be recognized as a girl?! Well, I can't blame them. I wasn't wearing the boy's uniform anyway. To avoid getting nervous, I just tried hard to make my voice manlier, **"So, what are you going to ask?"**

"Well… we were just going to ask you if you know where the stadium is," The blonde guy answered, "We're kind of lost, yeah."

"The stadium?" I paused for awhile before I continued, "That's where I'm going right now. Are you interested to watch the play?" Oh great, we have attracted audience from outside of the school.

"Actually no," The blonde guy replied, "We were members of the Drama Club when we were studying here before. Temari-san called us to take charge of the make-up and costumes of the role players and—"

"Can you just take us there immediately?" The red-haired guy cuts off and shot a glare at me—How rude. The blonde guy seems so nice but the red-haired one looks so ill-tempered.

"I'm sorry about my friend here. He hates to wait," The blonde guy chuckled, "Anyway, I'm Deidara and this is Sasori-sempai. I think it was obvious that both of us were already in college." He extended a hand and I accepted it. Never mind that the other one didn't even bother to introduce himself to me, maybe he's just unfriendly.

"I'm Hyuuga Neji, a Junior. I was actually one of the actors in the play," I noticed that both of them were astonished to what I just said. I guess they didn't think that I'm an actor as well...but I think it's better than being mistaken as a girl. I smiled nervously and muttered, "Um… well then, let's go together, shall we?"

Later on Hinata, Deidara and Sasori reached the backstage of the stadium. They noticed that people were already so busy making the preparations for the play. Even some of the members were already in their costumes now. They also spotted Temari who was busy instructing the crew that was assigned on the stage.

"Move that more to the right," Temari instructed referring to a stage prop, "Yes, that's good." Her attention was suddenly turned towards the three of them, "So you came at last, Deidara-sempai and Sasori-sempai! I can see that you have already met Neji-kun."

"Nice to see you again, Temari-san!" Deidara replied with a smile, "Is he the guy that we're going to dress up as a girl, 'un?"

Temari smiled back, "Yup, he is! Try to make him beautiful, okay?"

The blonde guy winked, "Piece of cake, 'un!"

She shifted her gaze towards Hinata, "Neji-kun, they're going take charge of you. We're playing in less than forty minutes."

Hinata nodded and went with the guys in the make-up room. She was looking around trying to search for a certain someone. _'Come to think of it, I haven't seen Neji-niisan ever since I got here. Where could he be?'_

When Neji came out of the dressing room, he had already expected the shocked expressions of everyone outside. Well, who wouldn't be surprised upon seeing him dressed up as Romeo—a man's role.

"Huh? HINATA-CHAN?!" Ino blurted out in shock. Earlier, both the blonde girl and Sakura went along with him in the backstage to check up on him.

"Yes?" He asked naturally. Even though he's dressed up as a man, he knew he have to maintain his voice as a girl.

"I can't believe it!" Ino replied who was still in the state of shock, "Is… is that you?!"

"I can't believe it either!" Sakura exclaimed, "With your hair tied back, you look manly and good-looking! And… your personality seems different too!"

"Hey now…" Neji said as he tried to calm the girls, "If you're playing a man's role, you have to look the part, right?" He looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of Hinata inside the room.

"If you're looking for Neji-kun, he's just taking a little long getting dressed, that's all…" Temari said who just came in. The blonde girl walked closer and looked at him from head to toe, "It's perfect. My eyes are never wrong."

Neji was still mad at the Drama Club President for threatening him. If ever they get discovered, he would surely blame her—But no, he's not going to do that anymore. Hinata likes this club so much and he knew that this play means a lot for the girl.

"Ta-daa!" A loud voice echoed the backstage—it was from Deidara. "How's it look 'un?" He said referring to Hinata who was walking towards them reluctantly.

The shock expressions were doubled upon seeing her appearance—Hinata wasn't only wearing Juliet's costume, she was also wearing the wig that Deidara lent her earlier. The blonde guy said that he would still look like a boy if she doesn't wear it and she doesn't see any reason to refuse anyway. The wig has the same color as her hair so people would naturally mistake it as her real hair. Plus, her make-up made her really looked more beautiful and mesmerizing.

"EH?! NEJI-KUN?!" Almost everyone blurted out in shock.

"What happened to you two?!" Ino yelled, exchanging glances to the both of them, "You guys look **nothing** like before!"

Hinata glanced downwards. _'This is… very embarrassing! I haven't worn this kind of clothes for so long. It feels really awkward.'_

Neji, on the other hand, froze dead on his tracks while staring at her. If he saw himself, the look of utter amazement in his face, he would not have believed it. He must admit… Hinata looks so beautiful right now… like a real princess—scratch that… she's more beautiful than a dozen of princesses combined. His heart was beating so rapidly and he could feel his cheeks heating up.

The girl felt the same way as well. Neji looked a lot like a prince even though he's only playing Romeo's role. Finally, she got to see his face without make-up again. And for some reason, they were both speechless.

"Sorry we're late, everyone!" Kiba declared who just arrived with Shino on the backstage entrance. He was also wearing the costume for his part in the play as well. "We were just—" He wasn't able to continue when he saw Hinata. His face turned red instantly and found himself dazing at the way she looks right now.

"Uh… hi Kiba…" Hinata just said who doesn't know how to greet him.

Kiba turned his head to another direction. _'No way… I must calm down… he's a boy! A boy! A bo—' _When he looked back at her, his blushing worsened. _'Urghh! Just as I thought… he's so cute!'_

Shino raised a brow when he noticed something on the Inuzuka, "Stupid. You're nose is bleeding." He told him. However, the brown-haired guy remained staring at Hinata, unmindful of his massive nosebleed.

Deidara was so angry to see this and yelled, "You stupid bastard! What the hell are you getting a nosebleed for, 'un?! You're dirtying up the dress I designed!"

"You're a lousy designer, anyway." Sasori commented.

"Shut up 'un! It's you who do not know what real art means!" Deidara yelled back at the red-haired guy.

Everybody sweat-dropped that all of them were thinking along the same lines, _'How can anyone associate fashion with real art?'_

"Wonderful!" Temari clapped her hands in admiration when she took a second look at Neji and Hinata, "We're starting soon! Line up! Line up!"

With the President's signal, everyone went to their places. "And now… from the Drama Club… we will now present the comedy version of Romeo and Juliet! Enjoy!" The stadium was filled with applauds and squeals from the audience.

Hinata was still a bit nervous but when Neji held her hand, she suddenly felt at ease. "Let's try our best." She told him with a smile.

He smiled back, "Hn." Both of them walked towards the stage and started the presentation. Everyone in the stadium was so surprised to see how they look as well.

'_If I'm with Neji-niisan, I feel like I can do anything,' _She thought as she plays her part, '_That's right… I have already decided before to protect what we have together. So I've got to concentrate…'_

And finally, they almost reached the end of the play. Neji and Hinata were now going to play the 'kissing scene.' Both of them know that they're just going to act like they were kissing and the crew will take care of the rest. Still, they can't help getting nervous.

Neji rounded his arms around her waist and Hinata placed her hands on his chest. If their faces meet between six inches, the curtain will fall and the play will be over—that's what they both agreed with the President.

Meanwhile, Kiba, who doesn't know the other details on the act, was so furious to see this. "No way! Are they really going to do it?!" He was one of the many people who were peeking from the backstage.

"Come to think of it," Shino spoke behind him, "Neji-san did mention that he hasn't kissed anyone before."

"What?!" The Inuzuka retorted and turned to Shino, "You mean to say… this is going to be his first kiss?!"

"Bingo."

"Then I must do everything to stop that kiss!" Kiba declared as he ran towards the stage. The audience's attention was glued on the acting couple on the stage so they didn't notice his presence. With their eyes close, Neji was now holding Hinata's chin up and his face was now drawing closer to hers.

_'Damn! I must not let that woman violate my Neji!'_ Because he was so pre-occupied with this thoughts, Kiba didn't notice a drama prop that was lying on the floor. Just when he was about to go closer to the two Hyuugas, he tripped on the prop that caused him to push Neji closer to Hinata.

It all happened in an instant—Neji's lips were on Hinata's. Both were so surprised that they opened their eyes back. The stadium was filled with loud cheers and applauds—it was an encore. When the curtain fell, they were greeted by the people from the backstage. Everyone congratulated them for making the play a success.

_'No way! He kissed me!'_ Hinata thought who was still in a state of shock as she covers her mouth. Even Neji was stunned that he wasn't able to say anything.

She quickly excused herself and ran towards the backstage entrance. Neji was about to follow her but he was caught up between the crowd._ 'Just like that… Neji-niisan took my first kiss," _Hinata stopped walking in the middle of the school grounds, '_I must also admit… even though it happened by accident, I felt like…' _She touched her lips, _'…I was kissed by a real prince.'_

_**TBC**_

**A/N: **The clubs mentioned in this fanfiction didn't exist in our school. Ugh… I'm so jealous with Japan having those awesome clubs! /end rant. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter!

Marshie-mallows for: **xOx-aShl3iGh-xOx, PandaDragon, winterkaguya, DesertRoseTemari, SilverRain, michiyo-rae, Shadowblitz, dark-emo-gal, risingfallback**

And a low-fat marshie-mallow for** kawaiiS! **Because I don't want you to get fat! XD And yes, this story is still dedicated to you because you're awesome!

**A/N: Mshinata here! And this is where Marshie-chan left off. -Sad- Even though she has stopped writing for now, she continues to make videos. So support her! But...-gives you all baskets of cookies and whispers- If you give Marshie-chan these cookies, I bet we can persuade her to keep writing! xD **

**A/N (cont.): But for now...you'll have to deal with me continuing this story. I'll say sorry in advance if everybody hates my writing. -bows- Yesh. Now...I shall work on the next chapter!**


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